Where do the Raiders rank among the NFL’s best offenses?
If you didn’t follow the Raiders closely last season, you might be surprised to know that the team had a top-10 offense in both points scored and yards gained in 2020. Despite an offensive line that suffered a ton of injuries, Jon Gruden and Derek Carr willed this team to be competitive on the offensive side of the ball.
However, the offense for the Raiders went through some significant changes this offseason. They moved on from three veteran offensive lineman and two receivers, including Nelson Agholor and Tyrell Williams. So heading into the 2021 season, where does this offense rank and project compared to the rest of the NFL?
In a recent article by Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report, he ranked all 32 offenses going into next season. The Raiders came in at No. 14 despite being a top-10 offense last year. Here is a quick snippet of Knox’s thoughts on the Las Vegas offense:
“This should still be an above-average unit in 2021, though. Derek Carr is an above-average quarterback, while weapons like Josh Jacobs, Darren Waller and Hunter Renfrow remain. Las Vegas also drafted offensive tackle Alex Leatherwood, brought in running back Kenyan Drake to spell Jacobs and could have a tremendous rushing attack.
A lot will hinge on how quickly the new-look offensive line comes together and if new receivers like Willie Snead IV and John Brown can adequately replace Williams and Agholor. However, this should be a playoff-caliber unit.”
Knox is right that the entire offense hinges on how well the new-look offensive line plays. However, there is a chance the offensive line might even be better this year as Trent Brown, Richie Incognito and Gabe Jackson all missed a significant amount of time last season. By getting younger, they’ve also gotten healthier and that should allow the offensive line to gel.
If the Raiders can get some consistency on their offensive line, this should be one of the better units in the NFL. They are loaded at running back and tight end and have a good mix of young players and veterans at receiver. Don’t be surprised if Gruden has the offense back to playing like a top-10 unit once again this year.
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