What Will the Raiders’ Front Seven Actually Look Like in 2026?

WHAT ARE JALEN NAILOR AND KWITY PAYE ACTUALLY BRINGING TO THE RAIDERS?

What exactly are the Raiders getting in Jalen Nailor and Kwity Paye? We break it all down in our latest episode of the Silver & Black Sports Network Podcast. To get a clearer picture, I tapped into two voices who know these players inside and out — Matthew Coller of Purple Insider and Zach Hicks from Colts on SI. We walk through how they actually win on the field and where they still need to grow. From why Nailor could be a breakout candidate in Klint Kubiak’s offense to how Paye fits alongside Maxx Crosby and Malcolm Koonce in Rob Leonard’s defense, this episode gives you a real sense of how these pieces could come together in Las Vegas.

BUILDING OUT THE DEFENSE AFTER FREE AGENCY

Since the first wave of free agency, everyone’s been asking what the Raiders will look like when they line up in their new 3-4 base defense next year. So let’s hit on that real quick.

Just to clarify (again), teams around the league are only in base defense about 30% of the time, so don’t expect to see a ton of it from the Raiders. But it’s not like we’ll never see it, either.

So let’s dive in.

Our buddy @jacks3s hit me up on X after the Raiders re-signed Thomas Booker IV (more on him if you keep scrolling), laying out how he thinks the Raiders will look in base. And I tend to agree with what he came up with. @jacks3s knows ball — we’ve gone back and forth since I started the brand, and it’s clear he knows what he’s talking about.

DL

We’ll start at nose tackle.

As I mentioned in the tweet, I think they address that spot in the draft. There are a bunch of 320-plus-pound two-gappers in this class. I could see them targeting that position at the top of the second round with guys like Lee Hunter, Kayden McDonald, or Christen Miller potentially being available there. But don’t rule out them going elsewhere (maybe offensive tackle) and waiting until the third to grab someone like Domonique Orange or Darrell Jackson Jr.

So for now, I’m on the same page as @jacks3s, leaving that spot blank.

As for the other defensive end spots, Thomas Booker IV showed some really good things last year, and I’ve always liked Adam Butler. Both guys are versatile pieces you can move all along the defensive line when the Raiders start playing around with different fronts.

Although Butler is coming off a down year, he was very productive in 2023 and 2024, and I think we’ll see him return to form this season — especially if he’s playing more 3-tech, which is where he’s had the most success. We’ll see what happens in the draft, but don’t rule him out as an option at nose tackle either. He played there nearly 20% of the time last season and was effective in that role back in 2019–2020 when the Patriots kicked him inside from time to time.

The Raiders also have some nice depth with Jonah Laulu, Tyree Wilson, and younger guys like Tonka Hemingway and JJ Pegues. Tonka will slide around depending on the front, but he’s got 3-, 4-, and 5-tech ability in his bag. JJ could factor in at nose — people forget how big he is and that he played nose tackle nearly 30% of the time at Ole Miss — but I think we’ll see him moved all along the line as well, especially in base.

OLB / EDGE

We don’t need to spend too much time on Maxx — we already broke down his fit in the 3-4 base a few weeks ago, so feel free to check that out if you want more detail. Having said that, he’ll be rushing from the 7-tech spot — that’s his bread and butter.

Opposite him, Kwity Paye is a really interesting piece. His 77.5 PFF run defense grade since 2022 ranks 16th among edge rushers, so he’s a much better run defender than I think a lot of people realize. Yes, he’s got 30.5 career sacks, including 16.5 from 2023–2024, but that’s been a more inconsistent part of his game.

I think he’ll be a really good complement to Maxx.

Check out our latest podcast for a deeper dive on Kwity, but the short version is this: he should be able to clean up a lot of the mess that comes his way as teams try to avoid Crosby.

Because of that, I think you’ll see him primarily on early downs or in more run-heavy situations. In clear passing downs, I’d expect to see more of Malcolm Koonce on the edge.

Adding Paye and bringing Koonce back gives them a really nice rotation opposite Maxx.

We also can’t forget about Charles Snowden. The Raiders brought him back, and he’s proven to be pretty effective as a rotational guy. He’ll be someone they drop into coverage at times and rush from out wide when they call his number.

LB

We took a deep dive into Nakobe Dean and Quay Walker on Tuesday’s podcast — you can find that linked below. Ross Tucker and Mike Heller did a great job breaking down what they bring to the table.

I see Nakobe as a great blitzer. Since the start of 2024, he’s got the highest sack rate in the NFL at 7.9%. The next closest over that span is Derwin James at 5.5%, which is wild.

Ross said it best on the pod — Dean should thrive in sub-packages as that fifth rusher when Rob Leonard dials up pressure. It’s going to be fascinating to see how they disguise those looks with him.

As for Quay Walker, the more I watch him, the more intrigued I get. The PFF grades aren’t great, and he gave up the fifth-most receiving yards in coverage last year, but let’s be honest — those numbers don’t always tell the full story. Not many people know exactly what his responsibility was on every snap, so I’d imagine some of that yardage wasn’t entirely on him.

What stands out more is how he views his situation. If you go back and listen to his introductory press conference, he made it clear he doesn’t think he was used the right way in Green Bay. He mentioned multiple times that he believes Rob Leonard will use him correctly, and he’s fired up to play for him.

He’s a sure tackler and an elite athlete, so I don’t think he’ll be the liability in coverage that the numbers suggest.

SUMMING IT UP

I really like the versatility the Raiders are building up front.

When they’re in a 3-4, the combination of Maxx and Kwity/Koonce creates some really interesting looks based on their strengths. And people don’t give Maxx nearly enough credit for how good he is against the run — pairing him with Paye should make them really solid there.

If Paye can develop a more consistent pass-rush bag, that duo could be scary.

Along the defensive line, they’ve got a lot of pieces they can rotate through different fronts, which should give Rob Leonard the flexibility to mix things up week to week. Who they bring in at nose tackle will go a long way in determining the ceiling of this defense — if they hit on that spot in the draft, it could really unlock everything.

Overall, they’ve got a bunch of solid run defenders up front, which is key. We’ve seen how important it is to stop the run with your front seven, so you don’t have to constantly load the box — that’s what opens things up for the secondary.

I also like the athleticism and aggressiveness Nakobe and Quay bring in sub-packages. You need versatile linebackers and safeties to survive in all those nickel looks.

I like the addition of Taron Johnson, but we’ll see what else they do in the draft before we really start diving deeper into the secondary.

MAXX SPEAKS ON THE BALTIMORE TRADE SAGA

The Maxx Crosby/Baltimore Ravens trade saga, paired with the first week of free agency, made for one of the wildest weeks I’ve had on the Raiders beat — which is saying something, because I’ve been covering this team since 2019. I’ve seen a lot… but nothing like last week.

And this week, Maxx jumped on The Rush, his podcast, to dive into the situation from his perspective. By now, you’ve seen plenty of reactions to the trade that wasn’t, and reactions to Maxx’s reaction to it all. I’m not here to pile on with that. More than anything, I just want to point out a few things he said that really stood out to me — and honestly, felt pretty odd.

For starters, the Ravens flew him out to Baltimore on a commercial flight. Ummm… what?! That’s a tough one to wrap your head around. This is a team that had never traded a first-round pick, let alone two, and they’re doing it for one of the best players in the league. Sure, first class is nice, but how are you not sending a private jet for that guy?

And it gets weirder. Maxx said they flew him into Washington, D.C., then had him drive two hours to Baltimore after a five-hour flight. Those two things combined were the first signs that something just didn’t add up.

Then he gets to the facility, and there’s no real welcome? No big moment? We’ve seen the Raiders roll out the red carpet plenty of times for players and coaches. Baltimore just “traded” for an elite player — and nothing. He wasn’t even greeted by the GM or coach. In fact, he said he didn’t see them for about five hours, until they finally told him things weren’t looking good.

I said it on the podcast last week — the Ravens were well within their rights to back out of the deal. They didn’t break any rules. But that doesn’t mean it wasn’t a bush league move. And the more that’s come out — including Dianna Russini reporting that the Ravens were talking to Trey Hendrickson while Maxx and his wife were in the building — the worse it looks.

At the end of the day, they made the move they felt was best for their team. They pivoted to a player they believe can give them similar production for less money while keeping their draft capital. That part is understandable.

But there’s a way to do business. And the more we learn about how this all went down, the more it makes the Ravens look like a bunch of bums for how they handled it and how they treated Maxx in the process.

REQUIRED READING

This week’s required reading isn’t as flashy as some we’ve had in the past, but if you’re a Raiders fan, it’s an important one to stay informed on the potential future of the franchise.

At the NFL’s annual league meeting on March 29, owners are scheduled to vote on a succession plan for the Raiders that would give Egon Durban — CEO of Silver Lake and a current limited partner in the team — the option to buy the franchise if and when Mark Davis, or his heirs, ever decide to sell.

Now, to be clear, this isn’t some signal that a sale is coming. ESPN reports that Mark Davis has no intention of selling the team, and it’s also worth noting that this is a standard league process. Every year, the NFL requires all 32 teams to submit an updated succession plan to Commissioner Roger Goodell in the event of an owner’s death or transition, so this simply satisfies that requirement.

Again, Mark isn’t going anywhere — nor should he — but it’s still a worthwhile read to understand what the future could look like if the situation ever changed.

MISS ANYTHING?

Catch up on some of our recent stories:

WILL DEAN AND WALKER BE WORTH THE INVESTMENT FOR THE RAIDERS?

Did the Raiders actually fix one of their biggest weaknesses on defense? That’s the question we tackled in a recent episode of the Silver & Black Sports Network Podcast. After Vegas dropped $76.5 million to bring in Nakobe Dean and Quay Walker, I brought in Ross Tucker and Mike Heller — two guys who have covered and studied these players closely — to go beyond the box score and break down what they really are on tape. We dive into why the Raiders targeted them, how they fit into Rob Leonard’s system, and what Raider Nation should realistically expect from this new-look linebacker group in 2026. If you want a true deep dive on both players, this is the one to check out.

ICYMI

THREE MORE SIGNINGS FROM THIS WEEK

In case you missed it, the Raiders signed three more players this week. They brought back defensive lineman Thomas Booker IV, signed former 49ers offensive lineman Spencer Burford, and added linebacker Segun Olubi.

Here’s the lowdown on each of them:

THOMAS BOOKER IV

We touched on Booker earlier in the newsletter, but this is a guy I expected them to bring back after trading for him during training camp.

I wasn’t a huge fan of the move at the time — I thought Jakorian Bennett was a corner they’d need (and I still do) — but Booker ended up being a solid addition. He played pretty well in what was a rough year overall for the Raiders defense.

Now, the run defense numbers weren’t great. He earned a 39.4 PFF run defense grade, which you can’t ignore — especially considering the Raiders were actually somewhat serviceable against the run as a unit, ranking 18th in rushing yards allowed per game (116.8).

But where he really showed up was as a pass rusher.

He posted a 67.8 PFF pass rush grade (38th among interior defensive linemen), along with 21 hurries (39th), seven QB hits (16th), and 28 total pressures (42nd). He also batted down five passes, which ranked fourth at the position.

From a fit standpoint, he makes a lot of sense in this new defense. In a 3-4 base, he can line up as a defensive end in more of a 4-tech role, and when they shift into nickel — which we’ll likely see a lot of — he can slide inside to 3-tech, which is something he did frequently last season.

SPENCER BURFORD

After Dylan Parham left in free agency, the Raiders brought in Spencer Burford from the 49ers, likely to compete with Caleb Rogers at guard opposite Jackson Powers-Johnson.

He’s got familiarity with Klint Kubiak from San Francisco, where Kubiak was the passing game coordinator in 2023, so there’s already some built-in comfort with what he brings.

He’s also another 25-year-old — a clear trend for the Raiders this offseason.

Burford started 29 games over his first two seasons but didn’t make a start in 2024. When the injury bug hit SF again last year, he ended up starting nine games.

Over his career, he’s logged 1,565 snaps at right guard and 538 at left guard, and he’s got a bit of tackle flexibility as well (32 snaps at left tackle over the last two seasons).

Last year, his average time-to-pressure allowed was 3.5 seconds — the best mark on the 49ers and sixth-best among guards with at least 250 snaps. Again though, keep in mind he only started nine games, and played in ten total on the season.

All in all, it’s a solid signing. At worst, he’s a versatile depth piece who can step in across multiple spots when injuries hit. At best, he beats out Rogers — and if that happens, it likely means he had a really strong camp, because Caleb played well last year when he got his shot and Spytek noted he’s been putting in serious work this offseason.

SEGUN OLUBI

Olubi comes in as a depth piece at linebacker and should immediately factor in as a core special teamer.

Over the last four seasons, his 30 special teams tackles led all Colts players. Last year alone, he racked up 11 special teams tackles, forced a fumble, and even blocked a punt — which just so happened to come against the Raiders.

FANSHOTZ FRIDAY

“FanShotz Friday”

By now, you have seen the phenomenal photos we’ve been using in many of our newsletters. They’re some of the best shots you’ll find of your favorite team, captured through the lens of our friend Arnie Bazemore of Fanshotz.com. Every Friday, we’ll feature Arnie’s favorite Raiders shot of the week that he captures at practice or on game day.

This week, we’re just featuring a shot that I love from Arnie. There’s usually more meaning, or a tie in to the week here, but this shot from the week six win over the Titans last season is just an example of the great work Arnie does. Sure, I could tie this in and talk about Jonah Laulu and Adam Butler and how they’re both versatile pieces along the Raiders’ defensive line, and that I’m excited to see how they’re used along with whatever other pieces they add there in the draft, and that’s true. But today I just want to let the image do the heavy lifting, because I think it’s an awesome shot from our guy Arnie.

Check out Arnie’s work at his site linked above and reach out if you’re interested in working with him. He’s a great guy and has been so supportive of me over the years when I was at NBC here in Vegas, and he’s come along for the ride with Silver & Black Sports Network, too.

WHAT’S NEXT?

We’ll see you guys again for our next episode of the Silver & Black Sports Network Podcast on Tuesday morning.

Right now, I’m leaning toward doing my first public mock draft with you guys — likely as a live show at 10:00 a.m. PT.

I’ve held off on doing any mock drafts up to this point because free agency was always going to reveal a lot about how the Raiders might approach the draft. And now that we’ve seen how things have played out, we’ve got a much clearer picture.

That said, there’s still plenty to debate — especially once you get past the first round.

That’s why I’m thinking we do this one live, so you guys can jump in and we can go back and forth on the picks in real time.

I may pivot and take a different angle, but that’s where I’m leaning right now.

I know a lot of you have been asking when I’d do a mock draft show, so the timing feels right.

Keep an eye on our social channels for a firm update on Monday.

Have a great weekend!

Catch ya next time,