The Las Vegas Raiders were essentially set at linebacker heading into the offseason until they cut Cory Littleton and Nick Kwiatkoski. The team then lost Nicholas Morrow to the Chicago Bears in free agency, which made linebacker one of their biggest needs. The Raiders then signed Micah Kiser and Kyler Fackrell, who are better fits in defensive coordinator Patrick Graham’s 3-4 base defense.
Despite the recent signings of Kiser and Fackrell, the team decided to bring in another linebacker with starting experience. Las Vegas announced the signing of Jayon Brown.
Brown spent the first five years of his career with the Tennessee Titans after getting drafted by them in the fifth round of the 2017 NFL Draft. Over those five seasons, the linebacker started in 39 games. He’s more of a coverage linebacker than a run stuffer, which is a wise move because the Raiders already have a run-stopping specialist in Denzel Perryman. The 2021 Pro Bowler has been honest about his coverage issues so there’s a strong chance that Graham is aware of them and doesn’t plan to use Perryman on passing downs.
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PFF Has Given Brown Solid Coverage Grades
Brown has an interception in each of the last four seasons. He even has a bit of pass-rushing juice. He had 6.0 sacks in 2018. Health is a bit of a concern as Brown hasn’t played a full season since 2018. He should be a solid depth option who comes in on passing downs for the Raiders.
Brown had a bit of a down year in 2021. He received a 61.5 coverage grade from Pro Football Focus, which was his lowest since his rookie year. Every other year, he’s received a 73.0 grade or higher. The Raiders have to hope that last season was a fluke and that he’ll return to form in 2022. He did have a stint on the Injured Reserve last season with a knee injury so he should have a better showing if he can stay healthy.
Are Raiders Done Adding LBs?
With the Raiders adding Brown to a group of Divine Deablo, Justin March-Lillard, Perryman, Kiser and Fackrell, the team is likely done addressing the position. If Graham does indeed run a 3-4 base defense, Maxx Crosby and Chandler Jones will also be spending a lot of time at linebacker. In nickel sets, the Raiders will only need two true linebackers on the field.
The team could still make smaller additions here and there, including the draft. A couple of former Patriots in Kyle Van Noy and Dont’a Hightower are still available. Considering their familiarity with Graham’s style of defense, the Raiders could look to add one of them before the season starts. Other than that, Las Vegas could bring in a rookie or two during and after the draft. The Raiders don’t have any big names at linebacker outside of Perryman but it’s shaping up to be a solid and diverse group of veterans with Deablo bringing some youth and upside.
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