There are some new players on the Raiders roster, so let’s take a look at how they stack up. Today, we continue our countdown as we look at the top five players on the Raiders’ roster heading into the 2020 season.
5. OT Trent Brown (26)
This 6-6, 380-pound behemoth signed on with the Raiders fresh off protecting Tom Brady’s blindside in the Patriots run to the Super Bowl. That earned Brown a big payday as the highest-paid offensive lineman in NFL history. His paycheck came with criticism because the Raiders were putting him at right tackle.
But regardless of whether you consider him to be worth his paycheck playing on the right side, there were no questions he was one of the best in the league. He missed five games last season to injury and the difference when he was in and when he was not was significant. It earned him his first Pro Bowl nod.
4. TE Darren Waller (27)
Waller exploded onto the scene last year. After a career marred by substance abuse, the former Ravens’ practice squad player showed he had cleaned himself up and was ready to show he was more than just potential.
Waller led the team in catches (90) and receiving (1145). And it wasn’t even close. He had nearly twice as many catches and receiving yards than the next most on the team in either category. And had he not needed thumb surgery, Waller would have a Pro Bowl to his name as well.
The Raiders made sure they locked him up long term midway through the season.
3. RB Josh Jacobs (21)
The man who deserved to be Offensive Rookie of the Year put up 1150 yards rushing and 7 touchdowns in just 13 games. He is a bona fide star out of the backfield, averaging 4.8 yards per carry and surpassing 100 yards five times. Four of those games were after the shoulder injury that ultimately cut his season short.
2. LB Cory Littleton (26)
Sitting well atop the free-agent rankings for linebackers was Littleton. He is what is most commonly referred to as the complete package. Want tackling? Littleton had 134. How about a little pass rush? He had four sacks, five quarterback hits. Coverage? How’re two interceptions and nine pass breakups sound? And of course, we can’t forget takeaways. Along with his two picks, he added two forced fumbles. From the outset, he looks like the best off-ball linebacker the Raiders have had in a very long time.
1. C Rodney Hudson (30)
Everything goes through Hudson. The second-team All-Pro calls out the defenses at the line, snaps with perfection, never gives up a sack, and can get downfield in a hurry to block at the second level.
This season was his third Pro Bowl the past four seasons. He also won the team’s Commitment to Excellence Award for the third straight year. He is simply the man. The man who signed a three-year extension prior to the start of the season that will keep him in Silver & Black until at least 2022.
Rankings 25-21
Rankings 20-16
Rankings 15-11
Rankings 10-6
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