Darron Lee has found a new home. After a brief stop in Buffalo, the former Jets first-round pick has signed with the Raiders, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. Lee joins a linebacker corps in Las Vegas that includes Nick Kwiatkoski, Cory Littleton, Trayvon Mullen, Javin White, Tanner Muse, and rookie Divine Deablo.
The former Ohio State standout was the 20th overall pick in the 2016 draft. While he never blossomed into a star, Lee put up solid numbers during his three years with the Jets. During that span, Lee tallied 241 tackles (including a career-high 94 stops in 2017), four sacks, three interceptions and two forced fumbles. In 2018 (his last season in New York), Lee recorded 74 tackles while returning one of his career-high three interceptions for a touchdown.
After declining to pick up his fifth-year option, the Jets traded Lee to the Chiefs for a 2020 sixth-round pick in May of 2019. While he appeared in each of Kansas City's 16 regular-season games, Lee was inactive during the team's 31-20 win over the 49ers in Super Bowl LIV. Lee served a four-game suspension to start the 2020 season. He made just one tackle in two regular-season games with the Bills.
Lee will look to help a Raiders defense that finished 30th in scoring, 26th in passing, 24th in rushing, 30th in third down efficiency and 16th in red zone efficiency last season. Las Vegas plays in an AFC West division that includes quarterbacks Patrick Mahomes and Justin Herbert, who last year was named the Offensive Rookie of the Year.
An 8-8 outfit last season, the Raiders' Over/Under win projection for 2021 is currently set at 7.5 games, according to William Hill Sportsbook.
