Raiders Got their Best PFF Game Grade from a Linebacker Since 2023

It has been decades since the Raiders boasted a top-tier linebacker room, but with the additions of Nakobe Dean and Quay Walker in the offseason, the Raiders finally have a linebacker group worthy of being considered one of the best in the NFL.

After three games, Dean (27) and Walker (24) lead the team in tackles and according to ESPN stats, Dean has also added 3.5 tackles for loss this season – the highest mark on the team.

Among linebackers with at least 20 snaps on the season, Pro Football Focus grades Dean (84.3) as the fourth-bestlinebacker in the league behind Ventrell Miller (90.4), Fred Warner (89.6) and Zach Baun (84.4).

Dean also posted a game grade against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday (90.3) that was his personal best in a game with at least 10 snaps since 2024.

For the Raiders, they haven’t had a full-time linebacker (min. 30 snaps) receiver a PFF game grade of above 90 since Robert Spillane in week 10 of the 2023 season against the New York Jets.

Going into week 3, there were a few questions at the beginning of the week about Dean’s health, and Raider Nation Radio host Q Myers addressed those concerns while talking about how important the fifth-year linebacker has been for the Raiders this year.

“He’s a tough dude. He’s tough as nails and I have no doubt he’s going to be out there and good to go,” Myers said on the Locked on Raiders Squad Show on Friday.

“The addition of Nakobe Dean to this Raiders’ defense has been just about a godsend. This dude has been incredible so far through two games for this team. It blows my mind how much of an upgrade the linebacking room has had and what John Spytek was able to do with Quay Walker and Nakobe Dean.”

Raiders spoiled the Cowboys’ offseason…

According to The Athletic’s Jon Machota, the Cowboys were trying to sign both Nakobe Dean and Quay Walker prior to both linebackers agreeing to deals with the Raiders in March.

“The [Cowboys] pass rush won’t be what it was with Micah Parsons, but it should be improved from last season. Inside linebacker is the spot that probably still needs a little help. It would be nice to have a team captain-type green dot linebacker. The Cowboys obviously wanted one, making a run at Nakobe Dean, Quay Walker and Devin Lloyd in free agency,” Machota wrote in May.

Machota wasn’t the first to report the Cowboys wanted Dean and Walker but combined with an ESPN report on Jerry Jones’ efforts to trade for Maxx Crosby, there’s no doubt the Raiders spoiled some of the Cowboys’ biggest ideas in the offseason.

Stealing players from Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is a good story, but the deeper details might be even better than advertised.

According to Raider Nation Radio host ‘JT the Brick’, there was at least one team the Raiders swooped in against and made a deal while the opposing GM wasn’t answering his phone.

“I have been told that… when Spytek was making deals, other GMs were not aware that the Raiders were on the phone making late afternoon deals, where the other GMs were sleeping on the job, and one of these players, they wanted the exact players that the Raiders got,” JT said on his flagship radio show in March.

“Spytek was humming at the Raider facility while others were not available or weren’t or didn’t feel a sense of urgency. They didn’t believe the Raiders after the Maxx Crosby trade, the Linderbaum move, [were] going out and getting [Jalen] Nailor, they didn’t see the Raiders coming to pounce on the defensive side of the ball.”

“According to someone who’s very connected,” JT continued, “Spytek pounced on the phones and closed those deals as other GMs. I don’t know if they were in the bathroom, I don’t know if they were on the phone with their wife, I don’t know if they were picking up their kids at school, but Spytek sensed that he could get in on this and he got the players and he closed down day one. It was incredible.”

x: @raidersbeat