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NAPA – Khalil Mack is considered a linebacker on the team’s official roster. Locking him into one position won’t be possible this season.
As defensive coordinator Ken Norton Jr. puts it, “we’re going to put him in position to make plays.”
Mack’s been working a ton at defensive end during training camp, in the base defense, sub packages and even during individual drills.
That will likely be his primary spot during the regular season. The Raiders have outside linebacker depth to function without him. They’re thin up at end and could use Mack’s presence opposite Justin Tuck.
No matter where he lines up, the Raiders want him to attack, attack, attack.
“He’s pretty dog-gone good getting after the quarterback,” general manager Reggie McKenzie said before Monday’s practice. “He’s really good going forward, and it’s an opportunity to do a lot of different things with him. They’re going to use Khalil in all kinds of ways. That’s the way it should be.
“He’s a dominant defensive player, so you want to let him do what he does best. We’ll move him around and play him at different spots. That was the outlook for the defensive staff this offseason, was to put him in position to make plays.
He made plenty as a rookie. Mack had 76 tackles, including 16 for a loss, and a forced fumble. He had four sacks and pressured the quarterback 54 times. A new coaching staff led by head coach Jack Del Rio and Norton feel like Mack can make more game-changing plays. That means more sacks, more forced fumbles, more drive killing efforts all around.
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He will do that if he’s going forward, not back. The current staff shakes their head at the times Mack was dropped into pass coverage. According to Pro Football Focus, he dropped into coverage eight times or more in five games. That number will surely go down in 2015.
Mack will be a defensive catalyst the scheme, at times, revolves around. That’s the case because the Raiders believe they have a transcendent talent in their midst. Norton, for one, can’t recall coaching a player of armed with such a dynamic skill set.
“Khalil is special,” Norton said. “There are a lot of players I’ve worked with who might be similar, but he’s in a class of his own. Bruce Irvin in Seattle was similar but, at the same time, Khalil is built different than most. He’s athletic, talented, smart and relentless. Those things, in addition to his versatility, allow you to play him at end and linebacker. He’s amazing. He the type of player you want to surround with other good players.”
Some insight.
http://www.csnbayarea.com/raiders/mckenzie-raiders-will-use-mack-all-kinds-ways