If there was one specific aspect of the Las Vegas Raiders that exuded the swagger head coach Antonio Pierce wants out of his football team, it was the defense.
The bravado and confidence spread like wildfire on Patrick Graham’s side of the ball and one of the lasting image of the 2023 campaign was seeing Raiders cornerback Jack Jones stare down Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes as the defensive back ran into the end zone for a touchdown after he read the signal caller like a book for an interception Christmas Day.
So it was no surprise to hear what Jones said on Wednesday after the team’s organized team activity (OTA) when asked how the Raiders maintain that brashness going forward.
“Making plays. You build confidence from plays, from work. Putting in the work, that’s where the confidence comes from,” Jones simply said.
Easy to say but often difficult to do. While Las Vegas did finish with the ninth-ranked defense in terms of points allowed (331 total yielded) and that’s a dramatic improvement from what the Raiders fielded in prior years, there’s room for improvement (always). Graham’s group was middle of the pack in terms of sacks (14th with 46), interceptions (18th with 13), and forced fumbles (18th with 14). Las Vegas was second to last in passes defensed with 56, just one more than the Tennessee Titans who ranked 32nd in the league in that category. That said, the Silver & Black finished No. 5 in interceptions returned for a score with three and third in fumbles returned for a touchdown with two.
The Raiders have the talent and another season with the core group and addition of elite defensive tackle Christian Wilkins should elevate the Graham’s defense even further.
One particular defender who can make a leap is safety Marcus Epps.
The 28-year-old heading into his seventh season in the league was brought in on a two-year, $12-million deal in free agency in 2023 to be both a lead-by-example type for young safety Tre’Von Moehrig and steady veteran presence in the defensive backfield. From the get-go, Epps and Moehrig were attached at the hip with the young safety constantly picking Epps’ brain.
“Man, he’s awesome,” Moehrig said during his offseason sync with Epps last year. “That’s my dawg, ever since we came in the first day we’ve been talking, just picking his brain about what he knows, and he’s been picking my brain just trying to help each other out. But outside of football, he’s just a good person and just fun to be around.”
The close-knit nature of the relationship was on full display as Epps’ presence allowed Moehrig to play with more freedom and make plays as the 24-year-old safety finished fifth in total tackles (83), tied for the team lead in interceptions (three), and the team leader in passes defensed (eight). The duo of Moehrig and Epps also rarely left the field as the former led Las Vegas with 1,106 defensive snaps (97.62 percent) and the latter finishing fourth with 1,031 snaps (91 percent). For reference, linebacker Robert Spillane was second with 1,101 defensive snaps (97.18 percent) and edge rusher Maxx Crosby finished third with 1,081 snaps (95.41 percent).
With Moehrig’s elevated production and confidence, the 2024 campaign is ample time for Epps to increase his own output — especially in the takeaways department. The veteran totaled 66 tackles in 2023 with three pass deflections and one forced fumble and fumble recovery, but no interceptions. Epps has always been light in interceptions — he only has three total, two coming in 2020 with the Philadelphia Eagles, but he’s got the vision, anticipation, and savvy that portends to more takeaways.
Epps’ cap number this season demands better production, really. Slated to earn slightly over $7.29 million on his final season of his two-year pact, the sixth-round pick from the 2019 NFL Draft sits at No. 17 overall in terms of cap number at the safety position in 2024. It’s time to go from veteran leader to play maker this coming year. And with Wilkins joining the defensive line with Crosby, the chaos at the line of scrimmage and in the backfield should allow other defenders to thrive — like Epps. By becoming more disruptive and effective against both the run and pass, Epps will help Las Vegas’ defense ascend to greater heights.
As noted above, Epps is going to be playing for himself as much as he is for the Silver & Black. Like a slew of other Raiders in a contract year, Epps is in a similar boat to core players as linebackers Divine Deablo and Spillane, edge rusher Malcolm Koonce, cornerback Nate Hobbs, and Moehrig. Each are slated to hit unrestricted free agency next March absent a new contract.
And the coin that group garners — with the Raiders or another team — will depend highly on their individual 2024 season performance. So the incentive to perform well is doubly important as if each play at a high level and are productive, it helps Las Vegas stack more Ws in the win column while at the same time, potentially stacking their respective earning power as players headed towards the open market.
