With free agency a month away, it’s time to check in on the Raiders’ defensive tackle position to give it a condition of either Strong, Stable, Unstable, Serious, or Critical.
Starters: Christian Wilkins, Jonah Laulu
Backups: Zach Carter, Matthew Butler, Tomari Fox, Tyler Manoa
Free agents: Adam Butler, John Jenkins
Wilkins was the team’s big free agent addition last offseason. He was lost for the season in week three, so they got a good long look at several other interior defenders in his absence. Adam Butler was the primary beneficiary of Wilkins’s loss, while the veteran Jenkins started all 17 games for the second season in a row in Las Vegas. Butler had a career year and the discovery among the group was 7th round rookie Jonah Laulu who was picked up off waivers from the Colts.
Condition: Unstable
The two DT’s who played the most snaps last season are both headed for free agency. While it may be time to move on from the 36-year-old Jenkins, Butler’s loss would be significant. If he leaves, they would have to find a suitable replacement. That’s where the instability of this unit comes from right now.