Could Raiders LB Tommy Eichenberg start as a rookie?
The Las Vegas Raiders are hopeful that they added multiple Day 1 starters through the 2024 NFL Draft. Brock Bowers and Jackson Powers-Johnson are near-locks to open the season with the starting lineup, but who else from this draft could crack the first team?
In a recent article by Pro Football Focus, they discussed the selection of Ohio State linebacker Tommy Eichenberg by the Raiders on Day 3 of the NFL Draft. They believe he could be a potential Day 1 starter for the Raiders alongside Robert Spillane. Here is a snippet of what they had to say about the Big Ten linebacker:
Eichenberg racked up an impressive 75 combined run stops in 2022 and 2023, the top mark among Big Ten linebackers. In that span, he also amassed 29 tackles for loss or no gain, which ranked third in the conference.
The most likely scenario is that Robert Spillane and Divine Deablo open the season as the starting linebackers with Eichenberg being the top backup. However, his ability to stop the run might get him on the field sooner rather than later.
Eichenberg has a real chance to play a lot as a rookie and could end up being a starter earlier than anyone anticipates. His game is very similar to Spillane and it wouldn’t be a shock if the Raiders tried to find ways to get both players on the field together this year.
