3 takeaways of Raiders defense after 14 games

The irony of the Raiders’ season is the defense has had little to do with how things went sideways again.

It’s become a yearly ritual to dissect that side of the ball as the biggest culprit for another wasted season. But in this year’s case, the defense has played its best football in years.

Credit goes to former general manager Dave Ziegler and the Jon Gruden-Mike Mayock partnership before him. Mayock and Gruden’s fingerprints are all over the field with defensive end Maxx Crosby, cornerbacks Nate Hobbs and Amik Robertson, safety Tre’von Moehrig and linebacker Divine Deablo playing well.

Ziegler did a solid job bringing in linebacker Robert Spillane, safety Marcus Epps and defensive linemen Bilal Nichols, Adam Butler and John Jenkins, who have played a role in the Raiders surrendering the ninth fewest points in the NFL.

Here are three takeaways of the defense after 14 games:

1. Crosby is having a terrific season

Somewhere down the line, Raiders fans will truly appreciate how good Crosby is. He continues to ride upward in what has been a never-ending climb to greatness. What is crazy is he keeps getting better, and there is still room to grow.

Crosby is the fourth-highest-ranked edge rusher in the NFL, according to Pro Football Focus, while racking up 14 sacks — one off his career high — 51 quarterback hits and 72 QB pressures.

He also has 46 tackles, including 14 for loss, and continues to improve as a run-stopper. He’s as complete a defensive lineman as there is in the game, and his willingness to figure out ways to improve means continually raising his ceiling.

Crosby should be considered for Defensive Player of the Year.

2. It’s not just Crosby

As recently as last season, the defense consisted of Crosby and, well, that was about it.

That’s no longer the case, as there is solid help for him at every level.

On the defensive line, Butler, Nichols and Jenkins have been assets as interior anchors who play well against the run and help free Crosby to wreak havoc against the run and pass. Malcolm Koonce is blossoming in his third season and has played well as a rotational pass rusher.

The addition of Spillane, a rotational player with the Steelers, has been a revelation, and he has blossomed into one of the better all-around linebackers in the NFL. Previously knocked for his pass defense, Spillane has worked hard on that part of his game to the point it is a strength. Now, he rarely comes off the field, a punishing run stopper who can play on pass downs either in coverage or as a blitzer.

Hobbs, who is back in the slot after spending last season on the perimeter, is turning into an all-around playmaker. The emergence of Robertson in his fourth season has stabilized a perimeter cornerback spot.

Moehrig and Deablo have taken big steps forward in their third seasons, and Epps, a veteran addition from the Eagles, has been a steady leader on the back end.

It’s been a long time since the Raiders went that deep regarding influential defensive players.

3. Tyree Wilson situation

Armed with the seventh pick in April’s draft, the Raiders liked Illinois cornerback Devon Witherspoon and Ohio State offensive tackle Parris Johnson. Both players were selected just before the Raiders picked. Georgia defensive tackle Jalen Carter was exactly what the Raiders needed, but his off-field issues presented too many red flags, so he was never an option.

That left Wilson, a highly regarded but injured pass rusher from Texas Tech. The Raiders, thinking big picture, executed the pick knowing his rookie season probably would be affected by a long rehab process following foot surgery that eliminated his entire offseason.

Wilson’s first season has reflected that. Slowly but surely, though, he has started to settle in and flash the potential the Raiders saw in him.

Before Ziegler was fired, he talked about Wilson’s timeline and pointed to the last month of the season as when the edge rusher might start putting it all together. Interestingly, Wilson played his best game last Sunday against the Vikings with a sack, four quarterback pressures and three QB hits.

If Wilson remains healthy the rest of the season, he will go into the offseason focused entirely on football. If he takes advantage of the opportunity, he could be in line for a big sophomore season.

Contact Vincent Bonsignore at vbonsignore@reviewjournal.com. Follow @VinnyBonsignore on X.