Aug 18, 2021; Thousand Oaks, CA, USA; Las Vegas Raiders general manager Mike Mayock reacts during a joint practice against the Los Angeles Rams. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Mike Mayock Believes Raiders Vastly Improved in the Offseason

Originally posted on Las Vegas Raiders on SI
By Fernando Alfaro-Donis | Last updated Apr 6, 2025 9:00 AM ET

The Las Vegas Raiders have done plenty this off-season to ensure that they're a vastly improved team from last season. Their current roster should be nowhere near four wins, and I believe it's even possible for them to make it to the playoffs.

Many analysts and websites have cited the Raiders as one of the most improved teams in the offseason, earning them a fair grade in free agency. They aren't the only ones who share this opinion, as the former general manager of the Raiders Mike Mayock shared his thoughts on how the team has improved in an exclusive interview.

"I think you have to be a fan of the moves they’ve made so far. What I really liked was how they solidified and improved the defensive line, which might be one of the better ones in the league. You extend Maxx Crosby, we drafted a kid named Malcolm Koonce who had eight sacks two years ago and what was one of the rising young defensive ends in the NFL.

He got hurt last year, didn’t play, but they were able to sign him to a one-year, $12m ‘prove it’ deal. This kid’s exciting. If you pair him with Maxx and try and get something out of Tyree Wilson, that three-man rotation along with Christian Wilkins inside is outstanding.

I think their defensive line and ability to rush the quarterback in a division that has some tremendous quarterbacks is a really good place to start. They signed an offensive guard, Alex Kappa, which allows them to move Jackson Powers-Johnson from guard to center, which is his more natural position that solidifies their offensive line. O-line and D-line is a good place to start, so I think they’re already an improved team from last year".

The Raider's defense is definitely one of their strong suits, and they can improve on that by selecting a versatile linebacker in the upcoming NFL draft with their high draft pick. In a stacked AFC West, the Raiders improving on protection and pressure should bode well not only for next year but for the coming years when possibly the teams around them aren't so dominant.

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This article first appeared on Las Vegas Raiders on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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