Georgia Bulldog roots run deep through Raiders’ dominant defense

The Las Vegas Raiders are off to their best start since 2021 following the franchise’s 35-27 win over the New Orleans Saints, with their play on the defensive side of the ball playing a major role.

The Raiders have allowed 18 points per game this season while forcing nine turnovers and recording 10 sacks. They have also held opponents scoreless in the fourth quarter of each of their first three games.

The toughness Las Vegas has played with so far has been a testament to the ideology in the locker room, particularly among the five former Georgia Bulldogs on the roster.

“One thing that I can always say about Coach (Kirby) Smart is that he emphasized to us all physicality,” cornerback Eric Stokes said. “He was not going to play anybody who wasn’t going to be out there banging, or wasn’t going to be there sending edges. That is just the Georgia way.

“You gotta be physical, you have to be able to set edges and you have to be able to tackle. That’s one thing that we try to bring here too, saying, ‘Hey man, we go hunt, we fly to the ball and you are going to feel us.’”

In addition to Stokes’ presence, the Raiders brought in more former Georgia players to fill holes on their defense in linebackers Nakobe Dean and Quay Walker.

Both have made an immediate impact on a defense that allowed more than 25 points and 317 yards per game in 2025.

Walker has contributed nine solo and 15 assisted tackles through Week 3, while Dean currently leads the Raiders with 27 total tackles, including 1.5 sacks and three tackles for loss.

The former 2021 Butkus Award winner, presented to the nation’s top linebacker, has also forced three fumbles through three starts with the Raiders, including one in each of the first three games.

For Dean, signing in Las Vegas alongside others who took the same path to the NFL brought a sense of familiarity.

“We just be ourselves,” Dean said regarding the group of Bulldogs in the locker room. “I feel like we bring a little bit more comfortability with each other and right now accountability.

“Of course everyone is accountable right now, but when you first get here and you already are familiar with guys and you know them, you can hold them accountable. So that has helped with the connection of the defense, which also helped the connection to the team.”

During the period in which Walker and Dean played for Georgia from 2019-21, the Bulldogs amassed a 34-5 record, including a national championship in 2021 with a 33-18 win over Alabama during their final collegiate season.

The Raiders also have tight end Brock Bowers and practice squad defensive end Azeez Ojulari, who went to Georgia.

The connection between Georgia’s program and NFL success isn’t limited to Las Vegas, either. The Minnesota Vikings, Cincinnati Bengals and Philadelphia Eagles each have at least five Bulldogs on their rosters and entered Week 4 with winning records.

For Dean, despite the Raiders’ fast start, his leadership role comes down to making sure the team continues to improve each week.

“We are just going to continue to get better,” Dean said. “It’s just really us being us, me being me, and trying to make those around me better every day, which in turn helps me become a better person.”

Contact Donovan Hicks at dhicks@reviewjournal.com. Follow @HicksSports on X.