ESPN's Mike Clay puts out annual rankings of position groups for all 32 teams in the NFL and some of his marks for the Las Vegas Raiders this year need an adjustment.
As you'd expect, the Raiders did land some good rankings on the defensive side of the ball, but not every position group got the respect it deserves. On offense, there are at least two position groups that need to be higher.
Before we get to the explanation of which ones are too low, here's a look at where Clay has each of the Raiders' position groups in his rankings:
- Quarterback: 32nd
- Running back: 30th
- Wide receiver: 18th
- Tight end: 7th
- Offensive line: 14th
- Defensive line: 9th
- Edge rusher: 8th
- Linebacker: 20th
- Cornerback: 29th
- Safety: 17th
It's certainly fair to question the Raiders' quarterback situation, but dead-last in the NFL? I can't subscribe to that.
Las Vegas has a pair of quarterbacks who nearly took their teams to the postseason in 2023, and whoever loses out for the starting job is a quality backup for the other. At the very least, the Raiders' quarterbacks room should be in front of those that have rookie starters who haven't played a down in the NFL yet.
The Raiders' wide receivers group should be higher, as well. Davante Adams and Jakobi Meyers are one of the better one-two punches in the league at the position and Las Vegas has quality depth options behind them in Michael Gallup and Tre Tucker.
Another position group that is underrated is the linebacker corps. Robert Spillane and Divine Deablo are above-average starters, and Luke Masterson and is a quality No. 3. You can also make an argument for safety to be higher thanks to a strong duo of Tre'von Moehrig and Marcus Epps.
