It’s not controversial to say the Las Vegas Raiders are a work in progress.
They have endured seemingly endless setbacks, including injuries, to contend with this season, and fans are well aware that limping across the finish line of the regular season means questions will be coming in the offseason.
Yet, there is plenty of reason for optimism both when looking at the Raiders’ current roster and what the team might do in the NFL Draft and through trades in 2025. As it stands, the 2024 NFL Raiders are not a team that will contend, but looking at the make-up of the roster, there are several players who have the potential to be part of a winning team in the future.
Raiders have put their trust in youth
When perusing through all the Raiders’ metrics, there are a few nuggets that stand out.
Whether it’s relevant or not, the Raiders literally have one of the shortest rosters in the league.
The Raiders contain none of the shortest NFL players in the game today, but they are fairly diminutive when compared to the league’s average. 11 players are under 6ft, which is second most in the NFL. But what actually relevant is the youth in the team – and the notable lack of experience.
The Raiders have 13 players in their first year which is well above the NFL average. Additionally, they have just six players over 30, which is at the lower end of the league. Yes, we can talk about veteran experience, but the simple fact is that the Raiders are a team that must look to the future, and there is a high ceiling for many of the young players in the team.
If we look at a team like the Cleveland Browns, which has struggled in a similar fashion to the Raiders in the 2024 season: The Browns have 14 players over the age of 30 and just 5 in their rookie and first year. Objectively, you’d rather be in the Raiders’ position.
The NFL Draft will be interesting for Raiders fans
There are, of course, adjustments that need to be made to the team. As the ownership of the Raiders is transitioning behind the scenes, the front office will still want to be in a position to utilize the NFL Draft to start placing the building blocks for the future. It’s not clear exactly what the Raiders will do in the Draft, but it’s almost certain they go for an elite quarterback.
The Raiders missed out on all top six quarterbacks in the 2024 Draft, and they won’t want to let the opportunity slip this time around. They will likely vie with the Giants over Shedeur Saunders and Cam Ward, either of whom would be welcome in Silver & Black.
Of course, not everything depends on the Draft, and you get the impression that Tom Brady and his business partners will be pushing Mark Davis to open up some interesting trade routes.
As we said, the Raiders as they are now are young and inexperienced.
Several young players have huge potential. Indeed, Sports Illustrated pointed out in a mid-December article that the Raiders have had to depend on younger players in their starting line-up more than any other team, but some, such as DJ Glaze, Jackson Powers-Johnson and Brock Bowers, have stepped to the plate.
There is still room to maneuver, and no Raiders fan will be disappointed at seeing the team bringing in some experience to help the younger players in the 2025 season and beyond. There’s work to do, but there’s also a platform to build on, and much of it is on the shoulders of youth.
First, and foremost, they need a more qualified HC. They cannot continue to have a HC in-training. Maybe Dummy Mark will grow a pair and make the tough decisions, or better yet, step aside and let someone qualified do it for him.