The Las Vegas Raiders are in the first season with John Spytek as their general manager and Pete Carroll as their head coach. The two were tasked with gradually improving the Raiders roster and getting the most out of the roster while the Raiders' front office revamps it.
Both of those things take time, but the Raiders have gotten off to a solid start after securing a solid draft class that addressed many of their most pressing needs. The addition of Ashton Jeanty cannot be overstated, nor can the arrival of Geno Smith.
Smith and Jeanty alone give the Raiders enough reason to be excited heading into next season. While the Raiders still have plenty of roster issues that must be fixed, they have undoubtedly improved this offseason.
Nate Davis of USA TODAY ranked every team in the National Football League following the completion of the draft. He ranked the Raiders as the 21st-best team in the league heading into the season. If the Raiders can inch closer to the middle of the pack this season was a success.
"The marriage of an excellent draft headlined by RB Ashton Jeanty, a veteran infusion on defense, arrival of Geno Smith to settle the quarterback position and – perhaps most important – new HC Pete Carroll's competitive culture should make the Silver and Black a far more competitive operation in 2025, if one that still has an uphill battle to escape last place in the AFC West," Davis said.
Being ranked 21st in the league is a step up from where many ranked the Raiders at the end of last season, proving their offseason was a successful one. Las Vegas must still improve its defense, as the unit has many unknowns heading into the upcoming season.
However, the Raiders offense has undergone enough changes to lead Las Vegas' front office to believe their offense can make up for the defense's deficiencies. If the offense is able to do so, the Raiders may surprise many this season.
The addition of Jeanty, and the rest of the Raiders' draft haul could be the next step in turning around one of the most storied franchises in NFL history.
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