Building up big: Spytek’s 1st Raiders roster full of defensive linemen

John Spytek, soon after taking over as the Raiders general manager in January, made it clear the foundation of the club would be built on the offensive and defensive lines.

He backed up those words when picking his initial 53-man roster. The Raiders have 10 offensive linemen and 11 defensive linemen. They had nine each a year ago.

The Raiders’ large number of defensive linemen is a strong indication they want a rotation that comes at opponent in waves, like the Eagles did last year during their run to the Super Bowl. That makes sense given Spytek was in Philadelphia from 2005 to 2009, and vice president of player personnel Brandon Hunt spent the last three seasons in the Eagles front office.

It’s going to take time for the front office and coach Pete Carroll to match what Philadelphia has built. But it’s clear where the Raiders’ priorities lie.

The insiders

The team’s first official depth chart of the season will come out Tuesday, five days before Sunday’s season opener against the Patriots.

Three of the four starting spots will go to defensive tackle Adam Butler and defensive ends Maxx Crosby and Malcolm Koonce. The starter next to Butler is the only question mark after the surprise release of defensive tackle Christian Wilkins in July.

The top two contenders are Centennial alum Jonah Laulu and Thomas Booker IV, who the Raiders acquired in a trade with Philadelphia during training camp. Leki Fotu is also in the mix.

A potential wild card option is Tyree Wilson, who lined up all over the place during training camp. Wilson, the No. 7 overall pick in 2023, was drafted as a defensive end but has played inside at times during his first two seasons. He could do so again on obvious passing downs this year so the Raiders can put him, Crosby and Koonce all on the field at the same time.

The team, no matter who gets the majority of snaps at defensive tackle, needs to hold up against the run to make life easier on a rebuilt linebacking corps featuring veterans Elandon Roberts, Germaine Pratt, Devin White and Jamal Adams. The Raiders were somewhat successful last year, as they allowed 116.9 rushing yards per game, the 13th-fewest in the NFL.

The outsiders

The Raiders’ pass rush begins with Crosby, one of the most lethal and relentless defenders in the league.

But he needs more help if the team wants to be successful.

The Raiders had 38 sacks last season, tied for the 21st-most in the NFL. They were hampered by injuries, as Crosby missed five games with an ankle injury and Koonce was out the entire year with a knee injury.

Koonce spent the first part of training camp shaking off rust. He had a sack in the Raiders’ final preseason game against the Cardinals, a sign he was settling back in.

Getting Crosby and Koonce back to full strength would be a huge boost for the team. So would getting a breakout season from Wilson, who had the best training camp of his career this year.

The Raiders could get additional help from rotational rushers Charles Snowden and Brennan Jackson, who the team claimed off waivers from the Rams.

The youngsters

The Raiders invested in the trenches in April’s draft. That included spending a fourth-round pick on South Carolina defensive tackle Tonka Hemingway and a sixth-round pick on Ole Miss defensive tackle JJ Pegues.

Hemingway had nine quarterback pressures and five tackles in 87 preseason snaps. That production could earn him playing time right away.

Pegues finished with four quarterback pressures and three tackles in 75 snaps this preseason. The Raiders like his potential, though he may be given time to develop as a rookie.

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