Critics won’t stop with hate on the 2018 Oakland Raiders. New head coach Jon Gruden has been out of coaching too long. His “old school style” will not mesh with the newer generation of players. There are too many “old guys” on the team. The Raiders roster still has so many holes in it. Many are already forgetting that just two seasons ago, Oakland went 12-4 and could have made a deep playoff run if not for a broken leg suffered by quarterback Derek Carr (who was also having an MVP-caliber season).

The facts are that Gruden doesn’t even have to be great for the Raiders to return to form. No one was lauding the 2016 squad for their transcendent coaching. The roster still had a lot of holes in it, especially on defense. Yet, the team was exciting to watch and won a lot of games. While the roster has undergone a lot of changes in just two years, the core of talent has remained constant. Most of the moves made have been upgrades, with many of the other wait-and-see players having more upside than downside

2016 Raiders Offense vs 2018 Offense

Oakland Raiders Will Return to Form: Comparing the 2016 Defense to its 2018 Projected Starters

Here is a look at Oakland’s 2016 defensive starters versus the projected changes on 2018’s roster:

Position 2016 2018 (Projected) Defensive End Khalil Mack Defensive Tackle Dan Williams Maurice Hurst Jr. Defensive Tackle Justin Ellis P.J. Hall Defensive End Jihad Ward Bruce Irvin Outside Linebacker Bruce Irvin Nicholas Morrow Middle Linebacker Perry Riley Derrick Johnson/Marquel Lee Outside Linebacker Malcolm Smith Tahir Whitehead Cornerback Sean Smith Gareon Conley Strong Safety Karl Joseph Free Safety Reggie Nelson Cornerback David Amerson Rashaan Melvin Nickel D.J. Hayden Daryl Worley

Obvious Upgrades

Maurice Hurst Jr. vs Dan Williams

It is tough to crown a rookie before he takes the field, but the ceiling is just too high for Maurice Hurst Jr. to not end being better than former Raiders nose tackle, Dan Williams. Williams was a solid veteran run-stopper but had already started to deteriorate during his final season in Oakland. He only had a half a sack, and 11 tackles.

With Hurst, Oakland has a dual-threat defensive tackle, who can stop the run, as well as get to the quarterback. Hurst was a monster in college at Michigan and would have been a first-round pick if not for a heart condition that scared many teams away. He’s already being penciled in as a starter and has some analysts putting him in the running for Defensive Rookie of the Year.

P.J. Hall vs Justin Ellis

Justin Ellis was the other starter at defensive tackle in 2016. While he still might win the job, rookie P.J. Hall is making a push, especially after his play in the first preseason game. Hall had a sack, and a few tipped passes in the game, looking every bit of the second-round pick Oakland saw when they selected him in the draft. He and Hurst give the Raiders potential for some interior pressure for the first time in a long time.

Still, it was only the first preseason game, and fans should not be so quick to crown him just yet. Ellis may not have been as flashy of a player, but he is a solid run-stopper who clogs the middle of the field. Regardless of who wins the job, he will still see playing time. There are also other players like Mario Edwards Jr. and Eddie Vanderdoes who will have a role on the defensive line as well. The best part of all of this is that there is a lot of talent and a lot of competition.

Rashaan Melvin vs David Amerson

Rashaan Melvin may not have much game experience, but he showed enough promise for the Raiders to add him to the squad this offseason. It is basically a one-year prove it deal, so Melvin will play hard this season as he looks to cash in on a larger long-term contract this offseason. Melvin started ten games for the Indianapolis Colts last season, netting three interceptions and defending 13 passes. This earned him a top-20 grade from PFF last season. He is also a physical player, who doesn’t shy away from run support.

When the Raiders acquired David Amerson off waivers in 2015, he looked like a steal. He played well above what they expected, hauling in four interceptions, and defending a whopping 26 passes. Oakland rewarded him with a contract that offseason, and he proceeded to regress miserably. He was turned into burnt toast on a regular basis and simply could not be counted on. Melvin should be a direct upgrade over Amerson.

Tahir Whitehead vs Malcolm Smith

The Raiders linebacking corps has an entirely new look compared to 2016. First off is linebacker, where Oakland has former Detroit Lion, Tahir Whitehead, on the weak side. Whitehead is a versatile linebacker, who is solid against both the run and the pass. He compares to Malcolm Smith, who was a great tackler, but that was about it.

Images of Smith getting torched consistently by tight ends still haunt many fans, and despite his statistical output, many weren’t surprised when he was let go of after 2016. Whitehead is an excellent fit in Guenther’s system and should have a much higher level of play than Smith did in his time with the Raiders.

Bruce Irvin vs Mario Edwards Jr./Jihad Ward/Denico Autry

Oakland’s struggles rushing the passer outside of Khalil Mack have been widely bemoaned for a few years now. In an effort to ramp it up, they’ve moved Bruce Irvin to defensive end. Irvin has been second on the team in sacks since he arrived, even while playing outside linebacker. Now, he gets to do what he feels he is best at, which should pay dividends in helping the team get to the quarterback.

Jihad Ward was a second-round pick for the Raiders in 2016 and disappointed. In his two seasons with the Silver and Black, he managed a grand total one sack. Ward was traded to the Dallas Cowboys for Ryan Switzer in the offseason, a deal Oakland probably feels like they won at this point. Denico Autry had been a solid rotational player the past few years for Oakland and was third on the team with five sacks last year. However, he signed with the Colts this offseason. Mario Edwards Jr. was another second-round pick defensive end in the 2015 draft. While he has shown the most upside at times during his career, injuries and inconsistency have held him back. He managed 3.5 sacks last season.

The three players combined for nine and a half sacks last season. Irvin had eight by himself only rushing the passer part-time. He and the coaching staff believes that by rushing the passer every down that he can make it to double-digit sacks this year. Irvin has also taken rookie Arden Key under his wing, who has been absolutely disruptive in training camp so far. He should be a direct upgrade over Autry rotating in on obvious passing downs.

Debatable Changes

Nicholas Morrow vs Bruce Irvin

Speaking of Irvin, now that he moved to defensive end, he needs someone to replace him. As of writing this article, Oakland lists veteran Emmanuel Lamur as the starting strong-side linebacker, but that likely changes to Nicholas Morrow by the end of the pre-season. Morrow saw limited action last season as a rookie, but did start five games, and looked mostly solid. Oakland’s biggest issue at linebacker was covering backs and tight ends, which Morrow showed he could do.

So far, he seems to be progressing well in the offseason, but we will have to see him in a few games to make a final decision. If he doesn’t perform, and others like Edwards Jr. or Key step up on the defensive line, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Irvin moved back to linebacker so that they keep their best men on the field.

Derrick Johnson/Marquel Lee vs Perry Riley Jr.

Another debatable change at linebacker is pitting Derrick Johnson up against Perry Riley Jr. When Oakland acquired Riley Jr. off waivers in 2016, he seemed like a godsend. Riley Jr. started 11 games for the Raiders in 2016, and fans were clamoring for him to be re-signed, which never happened. When it comes down to it, Riley was a solid starter for Oakland, but nothing special. He was out of the league completely last year.

Going off career numbers, Johnson is an obvious upgrade over Riley Jr. Johnson has been a Pro Bowl caliber linebacker for most of his career. Though he will be 36 years old this season, he was still a top linebacker last year, leading all linebackers in yards allowed per coverage snap. Many point to his age as the biggest criticism of the signing, but there is no reason to believe that his play will fall off that much in just one season, but it is a possibility. If it doesn’t, this will be a huge upgrade from Riley’s 2016 play.

Surprisingly, even if Johnson’s play doesn’t decline much, second-year man Marquel Lee is already breathing down his neck. He was the highest graded Raider in their first preseason game, showing a lot of promise in his play:

The highest graded #Raiders player against Detroit was LB Marquel Lee with a 91.2 overall grade. Lee had four run stops in only seven snaps against the run, and did not miss a tackle in five total attempts. ☠️ Join PFF for ultimate Raiders knowledge:https://t.co/agUh0q8BNL — PFF OAK Raiders (@PFF_Raiders) August 11, 2018

Lee is a thumper and should complement Johnson nicely playing against the run. What will probably end up happening is Lee playing more on obvious running downs, and Johnson playing primarily on passing plays. Either way, it is nice to have some options and depth at linebacker for once.

Gareon Conley vs Sean Smith

If Gareon Conley’s health was of no concern, this one would be an obvious upgrade. The team’s 2016 starter, Sean Smith was infamous for getting completely torched on a consistent basis. It was a wonder he stuck around the team for as long as he did. The problem is, Conley has seldom been on the field. Even the worst player on the field is better than one who can’t make it onto it.

The potential is definitely there. Conley looked good in his debut game against the New York Jets last season but only appeared in one more before going to injured reserve. Given most of the regular season and offseason to recover, he’s still been sidelined with injuries throughout training camp. When out there, he gets good remarks from the coaching staff. He needs to put the injuries behind him to really be considered an upgrade though.

Daryl Worley vs D.J. Hayden

Many Raiders fans were left scratching their heads after Reggie McKenzie selected D.J. Hayden as their first-round pick in the 2013 draft. He was recovering from a freak injury which almost cost him his life. It was a feel-good story that he even survived, but there were some who believed Hayden would have still been there in round two for Oakland to pick up. Despite that, he was mostly a liability when he was on the field. Like many other corners on the roster, receivers usually made easy work of him. Many times, quarterbacks would target Hayden multiple plays in a row.

Daryl Worley has a bit of different story coming to the Oakland Raiders this season. Worley was a third-round draft pick by the Carolina Panthers in 2016. He appeared in 31 games and gave the Panthers above-average play. Then, he was sent to Philadelphia Eagles in a trade during the offseason but was cited for a DUI before even taking the field. He was released, and the Raiders ended up picking him up. He will likely be suspended a few games because of that, but if he can put the incident behind him, he will easily be a great nickel corner for Oakland.