The Las Vegas Raiders didn’t make many moves to improve their interior defensive line before the start of the season. The mixture of players didn’t inspire confidence, and the early returns haven’t fared well during the first six games.
That’s why the trade of Johnathan Hankins caught everyone off-guard, with the position becoming underwhelming overall. Hankins was a fan favorite who has worn the silver and black since 2018. However, his play started to slip as of late, and we didn’t see the same impact as the run defender expected from Hankins.
The performance of the former Ohio State Buckeye made him dispensable in the eyes of the Raiders coaching staff.