Maxx Crosby is a superstar, and to absolutely no surprise he’s going to be a starter for the Raiders this season. The Raiders are going to likely be rotating between Tyree Wilson and Malcolm Koonce opposite of Crosby as Koonce works back from a torn ACL, which often takes north of a season.
Meanwhile, Wilson seems to have finally taken his step into the 7th overall pick with multiple splash plays during the first two weeks of preseason. Wilson looks stronger, has a quicker first step, and it seems as if the NFL is starting to come natural to him.
Outside of Crosby, Wilson, and Koonce the Raiders are going to likely be forced into a tough decision between Charles Snowden and Andre Carter II for their fourth and final EDGE rusher position. Rookie Tonka Hemingway has been working roughly at EDGE during training camp and in the preseason, which likely eliminates the Raiders from carrying 5 true EDGE rushers and opt for four with a hybrid DT/EDGE in Hemingway.
Charles Snowden likely has the inside leg after appearing in 405 snaps for the Raiders in 2024 posing 16 pressures, 39 tackles, 3 TFL, 1.5 sacks, and 7 QB Hits with 4 pass breakups as well. In addition, Snowden added 16 stops and a 4% win rate, which ranked last among all Raiders EDGE rushers and 2nd lowest on the DL. This preseason Snowden has posted 3 pressures, 5 stops, 6 tackles, PBU, and 2 TFL with an 11% win rate in 59 snaps. Snowden has a massive frame at 6’7/250 and compliments that with a quick first step and increased knowledge of pass rush moves.
Snowden originally played ILB at Virginia, before transitioning to EDGE in 2022 after going undrafted in 2021. Snowden does have a connection with GM John Spytek, having spent the 2023 season with the Buccaneers as a practice squad player, in addition to the obvious connections with DC Patrick Graham and DL coach Rob Leonard.
On the other side, Carter II was once a top draft prospect, even seeing some mocks predict him to go in the first round. A poor pre draft process and testing caused him to fall to become an undrafted free agent, where he signed with the Vikings.
After a couple seasons with the Vikings, the Raiders signed Carter towards the end of the 2024 season where he saw time then being promoted to the active roster and in 16 snaps posted 2 pressures, a stop, and a QB Hit. This preseason, Carter has been impactful with 2 pressures, a sack, 3 QB Hits, 2 TFL, 2 stops, and an elite 21% win rate in 44 snaps. Carter also has a strong frame at 6’6/260. He’s primarily a run focused defensive end but does show some traits in the pass rush department. Carter possess a long wingspan, strong lower half and core which allows him to anchor against the run but his pass rush moves haven’t been as quality as they were in his time at college.
The Raiders have other options at EDGE with UDFA’s Jahfari Harvey and Jah Joyner both posting relatively adequate preseasons (Harvey has posted a 20% win rate and 2 pressures in 12 pass rush snaps). On the interior there’s a couple UDFA’s that also stand out, mainly former Baylor standout Treven Ma’ae who’s posted a sack, 3 pressures, and as 12% win rate in 27 pass rush snaps which has put him in line to push for a bottom of the roster spot but Ma’ae is likely just on the outside looking in. When it boils down the Raiders EDGE room situation, Snowden and Carter are both going to be tough cuts with Carter having a strong preseason and finally starting to look like the prospect he was projected to be during his senior season at Army. Meanwhile, Snowden is starting to look like a natural depth rotational EDGE player in the Raiders system under Rob Leonard.
At the current moment, it seems that Snowden has the small edge between the two, and has made a rough impact in special teams as well which is crucial for a depth player. Andre Carter will likely clear waivers for the Raiders and could revert to the practice squad, with Snowden likely ending up being claimed on the waiver wire post cuts.
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