Former Ohio State star Johnathan Hankins officially signs new NFL contract
The Las Vegas Raiders have officially announced that the team has re-signed former Ohio State Buckeyes defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins. Las Vegas tweeted the news on Monday afternoon.
It was previously reported that the new deal for Hankins with the Raiders is for one year. This past season was the fourth with the Raiders for Hankins. In those four seasons, he has totaled 172 tackles with 13 tackles for loss, 14 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, three fumble recoveries, and two passes defended in 61 games.
In addition to playing with the Raiders, Hankins spent time with the New York Giants and Indianapolis Colts. The Giants selected Hankins for four years after he was selected in the second round with the 49th overall pick in the 2013 NFL Draft. With the Giants, Hankins had 140 tackles with 19 tackles for loss, 26 quarterback hits, ten sacks, and three forced fumbles in 52 games. In his lone year with the Colts, Hankins had 44 tackles, four tackles for loss, six quarterback hits, three forced fumbles and two sacks in 15 games.
Hankins should be part of an improved Raiders defensive front
The Raiders are going to look different next season on both sides of the ball. On defense, the biggest acquisition was former Arizona Cardinals star outside linebacker Chandler Jones. Jones signed a three-year, $51 million deal with the Raiders, and he should immediately improve the team’s pass rush. Bringing back Hankins solidifies the interior defensive line, although the team could still add to the position in the 2022 NFL Draft later in April.
Offensively, the Raiders notably traded for former Green Bay Packers wide receiver Davante Adams. Adams, the former college teammate of Raiders quarterback Derek Carr, provides an immediate boost to the Las Vegas offensive attack.
In addition to the changes on the field, the Raiders have a new head coach in former New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels. The Raiders went 10-7 last season, finishing in second place in the AFC West and as a wildcard team. Other teams across the AFC West, and AFC as a whole, have gotten significantly better, but the Raiders want to be right there in the thick of the playoff race at the season’s end.