The Raiders defensive line will undoubtedly have a plethora of talent this upcoming season and one of the most important names to keep an eye on will be Maurice Hurst.
Even after concerns arose regarding Hurst’s heart condition prior to the 2018 NFL Draft, the 6’1″ and 291-pound defensive tackle rose above the doubt and made an impact on the line and Pro Football Focus recently shared an intriguing stat via Twitter. Hurst had a 72.4 grade, which ranked third among rookie linemen that played a minimum of 350 snaps.
#Raiders DT Maurice Hurst's 72.4 overall grade this season ranked 3rd among rookie interior defenders that played 350 or more snaps ☠ï¸
Get PFF for all Raiders data: https://t.co/9k7sHfJKNE pic.twitter.com/8sNFMmPBNK
— PFF Las Vegas Raiders (@PFF_Raiders) May 14, 2019
Many people, including PFF, already think Hurst was an absolute steal and had it not been for the mentioned heart issue, he would’ve been a first round pick. To say the Raiders will have one of their most talented defensive lines in years is surely an understatement and what’s truly scary is Hurst only scratched the surface last season.
“If Hurst’s college production is anything to go by – grades of 88.6 in 2015, 90.2 in 2016, and 94.4 in 2017 – he is primed to take a big step forward next season.” -Ben Linsey
As Ben Linsey from PFF pointed out, there’s a historical trend to Hurst’s college production, which should be an indicator that this upcoming season might be a big one. What do you think Raider Nation? Could this be a big year for “Mo” in year two under Paul Guenther?