In a recent article ranking every position group in the NFL, the Las Vegas Raiders saw three of theirs land near the bottom of the lists.
According to ESPN's Mike Clay, the Raiders' quarterbacks and running backs groups were ranked No. 31 in the NFL, and the cornerbacks unit landed at 29.
It wasn't all bad for the Raiders, though, as three other position groups landed in the top 10 in Clay's rankings, including tight end (No. 7), interior defensive line (No. 9) and the edge rushers (No. 7).
Here's a look at where each position group was ranked exactly:
- QB: 31
- RB: 31
- WR: 18
- TE: 7
- OL: 12
- IDL: 9
- EDGE: 7
- LB: 20
- CB: 29
- S: 18
- Overall: 25
Of the Raiders position groups that landed in the bottom five, the cornerbacks are easily the most underrated.
Granted, Las Vegas has a question mark at the No. 2 spot with Jakorian Bennett set to take that role following a rough rookie season, but the presence of Jack Jones in the other boundary spot and Nate Hobbs in the slot should be enough to earn a higher ranking.
Hobbs is coming off his best season as a pro in 2023, and Jones was a revelation for the Raiders after being claimed off waivers from the New England Patriots.
You can also make the argument that the Raiders quarterbacks room should be higher. Gardner Minshew has proven to be a serviceable starter during his career and nearly led the Indianapolis Colts to the playoffs in 2023. Aidan O'Connell is coming off a rookie campaign in which he his had ups and downs but ultimately finished strong and he had Las Vegas in playoff contention until Week 17.
Adding to their resumes as starters, whoever doesn't win the starting job between O'Connell and Minshew will serve as a better backup than most teams in the NFL have, which gives the Raiders a deep quarterbacks room.
The running backs room has more uncertainty than the quarterbacks with Zamir White having just four starts under his belt over two seasons. But White looked good in those starts, and he's backed up by Alexander Mattison, who failed as a starter in Minnesota but proved to be a very good backup during his time there.
We wouldn't put the Raiders' running backs situation much higher than it is in Clay's rankings, but it should be higher nonetheless.
