One thing that we have come to learn over the last few weeks is that Antonio Pierce wants the Raiders to play a physical brand of football. He wants his team to a pain to play against. And while we saw that play out at times in 2023, the Raiders need to strengthen the spine of their roster.
One spot that could really use an upgrade is the defensive tackle position. And one free agent that would make a ton of sense for Las Vegas is DJ Reader of the Cincinnati Bengals.
In a recent article by Matt Bowen of ESPN, he named the top 50 free agents scheduled to hit the market and their best fit moving forward. Reader was named the ideal fit for the Raiders for the following reasons:
Reader suffered a season-ending quad injury this past season, and that’s the main reason I have him lower in the ranks. When healthy, Reader wins with leverage, power and pad level at the point of attack, and he can get up on the toes of opposing quarterbacks as an interior pass-rusher (15 pressures in 2023). In Vegas, he would provide a critical upgrade on the interior of the defensive line, with Maxx Crosby and Malcolm Koonce making plays on the edges.
There is a chance that Reader might not be ready for Week 1, but he is the type of player that the Raiders have been missing for the last several years. He is nearly impossible to move in the run game and he eats double teams with ease.
Reader, along with Leonard Williams, are the two defensive tackles worth monitoring over the next few weeks as the Raiders appear ready to spend up for defensive tackle help.
