Oakland Raiders: Free Agents Still Up For Grabs Who Won’t Break The Bank
By Kevin Saito
Johnathan Hankins (DT)
What’s surprising is that Johnathan Hankins hasn’t drawn far more interest on the free agent market. At just 24 years old, the 6’3”, 320 pound behemoth has shown that he has the ability to be a force on the interior of a defensive line.
The Giants reportedly want to keep Hankins, but as of yet, no deal has been offered and Hankins is apparently wanting to test the market. But so far, the market hasn’t really emerged for him.
The Giants’ second round pick in the 2013 Draft, Hankins has accrued 140 tackles (89 solo), 10 sacks, three forced fumbles, and four passes defensed.
Hankins is large, athletic, long, and can really occupy space – and blockers – in the middle of the defensive line. He’s strong enough to push the pocket, fast enough to apply pressure, and can help ease some of the burden on Oakland’s pass rushers, helping to free them up to get after the quarterback.
Dontari Poe notwithstanding, Hankins is the defensive tackle McKenzie should really be going after. While Poe is garnering the attention – and likely the lucrative deals – Hankins has somewhat flown below the radar and hasn’t gotten the sort of buzz Poe has. Nor is he likely going to land the kind of deal Poe will.
He’ll be far more affordable than Poe, but still has a tremendous amount of upside. The Raiders could plug him into the interior of that defensive line and see a tremendous rise in production from that group.