NFL Power Rankings 2020 preseason: Where do LA Rams fall?

Team – 15 Las Vegas Raiders (7-9)

I like what general manager Mike Mayock is assembling for Las Vegas Raiders head coach Jon Gruden. They take another step forward this season as the method of building the roster proved to be the correct approach in 2019, and the team has doubled down in 2020. Keep in mind that the 2019 Raiders had signed up WR Antonio Brown. Had that worked, the Raiders would have been a far better team.

2019 summary

The combination of head coach Jon Gruden and general manager Mike Mayock seems to be a great fit. The Raiders are certainly more competitive in 2020 than in 2019. It certainly begs the question that if the Raiders and Brown and a normally productive season, would the Raiders have earned a playoff berth?  Of course, and they would have made some noise once they had gotten there as well.

Players lost

The team lost DE Benson Mayowa, CB Daryl Worley, LB Tahir Whitehead, and S Karl Joseph. Not bad for a team on the rise.

Players added

The Las Vegas Raiders were buyers in the 2020 NFL Free Agency Market. They added ILB Cory Littleton, ILB Nick Kwiatkoski, DT Malik Collins, TE Jason Witten, CB Prince Amukamara, WR Nelson Agholor, DE Carl Nassib, and QB Marcus Mariota. Then the Raiders added WR Henry Ruggs III, CB Damon Arnette, WR Lynn Bowden, and WR Bryan Edwards in the draft.

2020 outlook

The Raiders had an incredible offseason. Unlike many teams that drafted for the headlines, the Raiders added a trio of receivers from an incredibly deep and talented draft class. Then the team leveraged the free-agent market to improve drastically.  The true threat to the Kansas City Chiefs in 2020’s defense of the AFC West division crown will be these Raider.s