After starting the season 6-3, the Las Vegas Raiders faltered down the stretch and finished with an 8-8 record. Head coach Jon Gruden and company were extremely busy this off-season, trying to get this roster over the hump. It was also clear, that Gruden was not happy with the run game or coverage units of the team. Did the Raiders do enough to push this team to the playoffs? Or are they still on the outside looking in, in a stout conference? As we creep closer to the 2021 season, here is how the Raiders 53 man roster might shake out come September.
2021 Las Vegas Raiders 53 Man Roster Projection
Offense
Quarterback (3)
In: Derek Carr, Marcus Mariota, and Nathan Peterman
Derek Carr will enter his eighth season as the starting quarterback for the Raiders. Consistency is good at the position, especially for a team that had a carousel there prior to the arrival of Carr. However, without a single playoff victory in his career, this is the year Carr needs to break that trend. In his fourth season in the Gruden offense, Carr should thrive and give the Raiders a chance to win. The two reserve quarterbacks will return as well, including one of the better back-ups in football, Marcus Mariota.
Running back (4)
In: Josh Jacobs, Kenyan Drake, Theo Riddick, and Alec Ingold
One thing that stood out about the Raiders off-season plans was the focus on the run game. Star running back Josh Jacobs has posted back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons and the Raiders still went out and signed dynamic Kenyan Drake. This duo should be a special one in 2021 and give head coach Jon Gruden his new school version of Tyrone Wheatley and Charlie Garner. Along with the dynamic running back duo, the Raiders return starting fullback Alec Ingold, one of the best fullbacks in football. Taking the last spot in the backfield is veteran Theo Riddick, beating out Jalen Richard who will likely be a cap casualty.
Wide Receiver (6)
In: John Brown, Henry Ruggs III, Bryan Edwards, Hunter Renfrow, Willie Snead and Zay Jones
Its hard to envision the Raiders wide receiver corps looking different than these six players. Even with the loss of Nelson Agholor, the Raiders return four players from last season, something that hasn’t occurred much in Gruden’s second tenure. The hope is second-year players Bryan Edwards and Henry Ruggs III can lock down the outside receiver positions on this roster, to go with Hunter Renfrow in the slot. The Raiders now have some depth at the position in case everything doesn’t go as planned. With the re-signing of Zay Jones and the signings of veterans John Brown and Willie Snead, the Raiders have some options to play with at this position.
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Tight End (3)
In: Darren Waller, Foster Moreau and Derek Carrier
The Raiders tight end position projects to be the same as 2020, minus Jason Witten. With Darren Waller becoming one of the best playmakers in the NFL, the Raiders are looking for Foster Moreau to take a big leap forward in 2021. If Moreau progresses, the Raiders could have one of the better young tight end duos in the league. In addition to Moreau and Waller, the Raiders return veteran Derek Carrier as their third tight end. The Raiders did give UDFA Matt Bushman some guaranteed money to come to Vegas, but that seems like a move for 2022 and beyond.
Offensive Line (9)
In: Kolton Miller, Alex Leatherwood, Richie Incognito, Denzelle Good, Andre James, Brandon Parker, Nick Martin, Jaryd Jones-Smith, and John Simpson
Perhaps the biggest surprise of the 2021 off-season for the Raiders was the complete overhaul of the offensive line. After releasing/trading center Rodney Hudson, guard Gabe Jackson, and tackle Trent Brown, the Raiders were left with some gaping holes on the line. They then drafted Alabama tackle Alex Leatherwood in the first round and signed veteran Nick Martin. The Raiders starting offensive line will be a bit different than years past, but will likely be a better run-blocking unit than they had last season, something Gruden made a priority in the off-season. With the addition of Alex Leatherwood, along with Richie Incognito and Andre James stepping into starting roles, the Raiders run blocking should improve.
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Defense
Defensive Tackle (5)
In: Jonathan Hankins, Quinton Jefferson, Solomon Thomas, Darius Philbon and Darius Stills
The Raiders spent the off-season overhauling their defensive tackle room. Releasing key contributors from 2021, David Irving and Maurice Hurst, has opened up some spots for new faces. The new faces include free-agent additions Quinton Jefferson, Solomon Thomas, and Darius Philbon, along with undrafted free agent Darius Stills. There are a lot of question marks here, but the potential to improve is there. Thomas and Philbon have shown the ability to get to the passer, both just were in need of a fresh start. Stills has a legitimate shot at making the final roster and contributing right away, the Raiders getting him as an UDFA was a surprise around the league.
Defensive End (5)
In: Maxx Crosby, Clelin Ferrell, Malcolm Koonce, Yannick Ngakoue and Carl Nassib
The Raiders have struggled with pass-rush since the departure of edge Khalil Mack. However, they added elite pass-rusher Yannick Ngakoue who will look to help with the pass-rushing woes. Along with Ngakoue, the Raiders drafted Malcolm Koonce out of Buffalo and return Clelin Ferrell and Maxx Crosby. “Franchise Guy” is the phrase Denver Broncos Von Miller used to describe Maxx Crosby. If the Raiders can get Crosby on track to pair with Ngakoue, it will allow them to move Ferrell around more and get the most out of this group. The Raiders pass-rush looks on track to be much improved.
Linebacker (5)
In: Corey Littleton, Nick Kwiatoski, Nicholas Morrow, Divine Deablo and Javin White
The Raiders linebacker group was improved last season, even with the disappointing debut of Corey Littleton. They return the same group, with one addition, rookie Divine Deablo, a hybrid guy out of Virginia Tech. The biggest surprise cut in this group will be Tanner Muse who never took a snap in Silver and Black. The hope is that Littleton will return to form with Gus Bradley at the helm at defensive coordinator. The re-signing of Nicholas Morrow and return of Nick Kwiatoski, gives the Raiders the same starting group as 2020 and continuity for a team that hasn’t seen much of it this decade.
Cornerback (6)
In: Casey Hayward, Trayvon Mullen, Damon Arnette, Nate Hobbs, Rasul Douglas and Isaiah Johnson
The Raiders signed veteran Casey Hayward to a one-year deal, giving them some legitimate competition in the corner room. With third-year starter Trayvon Mullen looking to take a leap, the Raiders now have a trio of outside corners fighting for two starting spots. Does this mean disappointing second-year corner Damon Arnette will move to the slot? The answer isn’t known right now, but having competition isn’t a bad thing. Along with Hayward the Raiders added veteran Rasul Douglas and drafted rookie Nate Hobbs. Hobbs and Douglas seem destined for the inside corner spot, which will push second-year player Amik Robertson off the roster.
Safety (4)
In: Jonathan Abram, Karl Joseph, Trevon Moehrig and Tyree Gillepsie
Jonathan Abram has been disappointing thus far, although he has shown flashes of being a competent player. The Raiders brought in Karl Joseph to compete with him and back him up. They then got the steal of the draft in TCU safety Trevon Moehrig. Moehrig is locked in as the starter opposite of Abram. The Raiders also added some depth when they took Tyree Gillepsie out of Missouri in the fifth round of the draft. The Raiders got younger and better at the safety position, something that was priority one entering the off-season. Gillepsie, Abram, and Moehrig have the potential to lock down the position for many years to come.
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Special Teams
In: A.J Cole, Daniel Carlson, and Trent Sieg
Even with some minor camp competition, it’s hard to envision these three not making the Raiders special teams unit. Perhaps the most consistent unit of the team last season was the kicking group. Carlson finished the season as one of the best kickers in football, and A.J Cole is as serviceable as they come at the punter position.
Wrap-Up
Will the Raiders be a better football team in 2021? The answer is nobody knows. They have a lot of new faces on the roster, who have a lot of potential, but there is a lot that needs to go right for them to improve. That is particularly true when looking in the trenches and at the secondary. Once again the Raider find themselves entering another season and the fate of the team relies on Derek Carrs’ arm and Jon Gruden’s ability to adjust. Both things have proven to be difficult to rely on over time.
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