Oakland Raiders: Position Breakdown and Depth-Chart Analysis at Defensive End

The Oakland Raiders defensive ends are essential in providing help for a young, inexperienced secondary.

For the Raiders, quarterback pressure becomes a vital tool in defeating quarterbacks Philip Rivers and Peyton Manning, who are accurate pocket-passing statues.

Both Manning and Rivers have mastered the art of getting rid of the football quickly behind stout offensive lines built to stifle the pass rush.

Unfortunately, the Raiders' starting defensive ends lack the willpower to dominate rival offensive lines. Defensive coordinator Ken Norton Jr. must use clever schemes to create mismatches in efforts to win battles in the trenches.

What's the outlook of this position in both the short and long term? Let’s start with veteran defensive end Justin Tuck.

What Does Tuck Have in the Tank?

Year	Snaps	Sacks	PFF Rating Against Run
2011	648	6	-7.9
2012	662	4	-2.6
2013	896	12	6.6
2014	667	5	4.4

The good news is Tuck enters another contract year and needs to perform at optimum levels to secure another solid deal in the offseason. Tuck's last contract year, 2013, was by far his best year in recent memory.

Tuck’s non-contract years are worrisome. His snaps and sacks on the quarterback take a significant dip. Yes, he may revert back to his hungrier days with the New York Giants in short stints, but the Raiders face major problems going forward if his replacement isn’t poised to takeover. Can Tuck replicate his performance from 2013?

From a coaching perspective, snap count versus development becomes an interesting dilemma. Should Norton give Tuck 800-plus snaps in the hopes of reaping the benefits of his last hurrah, or should he alternate the younger defensive ends at a higher frequency to develop talent during the season?

Don’t expect another double-digit sack season from the 10-year veteran. In 2015, mentoring the incoming rookies may be his most valuable asset. Tuck should contribute a handful of sacks, but Oakland must consider developing its rookies for long-term production at the position.

Rookie Impact?

Ironically, worries about the rookies concern second-round pick Mario Edwards Jr. as opposed to sixth-round pick Max Valles. In fact, Valles should develop into a better pass-rusher than Edwards in the NFL.

Here’s some film study breaking down both defensive ends, starting with Edwards:

Edwards disappeared for the majority of the game against Florida. Spoiler alert, you’ll have to fast forward this tape until about nine minutes to witness Edwards make a play on the ball.

The Raiders cannot afford to miss with a second-round pick who disappears against a subpar team facing a tough matchup. Edwards was ultimately shutdown by No. 70 D.J. Humphries, who was drafted in the first round by the Arizona Cardinals.

Yes, many players struggle against first-round talent, but the AFC West is packed with high-end offensive tackles. The Raiders must square off against Kansas City Chiefs tackle Eric Fisher (No. 1 overall pick in 2013), San Diego Chargers tackle D.J. Fluker (No. 11 overall pick in 2013) and, though he’s out for the forthcoming season, Denver Broncos tackle Ryan Clady (No. 12 overall pick in 2008) twice a year.

Edwards is slated to play on the right side of the defensive line, which means he’ll likely matchup against Fluker. Matchups against top-tier talent are frequent occurrences in the NFL, so Edwards must show signs of productivity.

In the sample below, Edwards was burned by tight end Clay Burton in coverage. This play resulted in Burton’s first and only touchdown of his collegiate career:

In the following sample view, it seems as though Edwards froze up in pursuit. Defensive ends don’t have the luxury of second-guessing themselves when shooting the gap or coming off the edge:

These weren't isolated blips within this particular game, which was a microcosm of Edwards’ season. He played a lackluster junior year and admitted he played poorly, relayed by CSN Bay Area reporter Scott Bair. Nonetheless, Norton won't hesitate to get in Edwards' face if he underperforms.

As a power rusher, Edwards won’t beat offensive tackles with speed. Secondly, he’s more familiar in a 3-4 alignment rather than the 4-3. That adjustment could hinder his effectiveness.

On the other hand, Raider Nation should be encouraged by Max Valles’ film breakdown. Unlike Edwards, he flashed on plays from beginning to end. His arms were often up to bat down passes—he was successful in knocking down a few. He can play with his hand in the dirt and managed to force a turnover in coverage:

Valles’ athleticism and versatility changed the game. That’s the difference between making ordinary tackles and making plays to alter possessions or the scoreboard. This particular game against Pittsburgh wasn’t just a fluke for the Virginia defensive end. He led the Cavaliers defensive line with nine sacks in 2014:

One year isn’t the be-all and end-all for this pair of defensive ends, but Valles clearly played with more intensity and hunger than Edwards for the duration of their college careers. Valles won’t play extended snaps until he proves his worth, but he has a chance, per head coach Jack Del Rio via SiriusXM NFL Radio (h/t Raiders.com)

"

We have Khalil Mack. We know he’s an impactful guy, and then we have to develop the other guys. We have Benson [Mayowa] on one side. We have some opportunities. We took a guy late, Max Valles, that had nine sacks last year in college. We’ll give these guys an opportunity to compete and to give us that element coming off the other edge.

I know having two guys really makes it good, and ideally you’d like to have two guys that are premium guys rushing the quarterback, and we feel like we have one in Khalil Mack and we’re going to have to develop that second guy.

"

In 2015, Valles will work on further developing his technique in garbage time and on the practice field, which renders him a non-factor for much of the 2015 season, barring injuries.

On a brighter note, Valles’ ascension as a premier pass-rusher shouldn’t surprise anyone in the organization. Oakland should expedite his development to bolster the pass rush sooner rather than later.

Depth at Defensive End

Brian Bahr/Getty Images

As previously noted, Del Rio’s search for a second pass-rusher behind outside linebacker Khalil Mack begins on Day 1. Interestingly, he didn’t mention Edwards in that quote, which may indicate his role as a run-stopper more than a pass-rusher. Instead, Del Rio mentioned Benson Mayowa as a potential source for quarterback pressure.

According to Pro Football Focus, Mayowa played 370 snaps in 2014. He'll likely alternate with Edwards on passing downs in a 4-3 base defense.

The former Seattle Seahawks defensive lineman should also draw interest from Norton as an athletic 6’3”, 252-pound hybrid linebacker. Mayowa is the X-factor on the Raiders defensive line as a potential impact player in sacks and quarterback hurries.

Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images

C.J. Wilson played five seasons as a defensive end, four of them with the Green Bay Packers, before signing with the Raiders in 2014. After re-signing with Oakland on a two-year $4.35 million deal, his 300-pound frame puts him in the same category as Edwards as a run-stopping defensive end.

In fairness to Edwards, he’s down to about 280 pounds. Wilson will be confined to playing inside in 3-4 sub-packages. He’s not as versatile as Edwards and will likely see the least amount of snaps among the defensive ends on the depth chart.

The Raiders' high selection on an uninspired talent puts immense pressure on Tuck to turn the clock back on his sack production and Valles’ progression during the offseason.

Mack should lead the team in sacks as an outside linebacker, but he cannot propel Oakland’s pass rush to respectable levels alone. Mayowa has the tools to step into a bigger role until Valles takes over as the Raiders' second-best pass-rusher in the near future.

Are you concerned with Oakland's defensive ends? You can follow Maurice Moton on Twitter and give your opinion!

Statistics provided by Pro-Football-Reference.com, Sports-Reference.com and Pro Football Focus.

Player measurements courtesy of Raiders.com. 

Player contract details courtesy of Spotrac.com.