We are officially a quarter of the way through the 2020 season and the Las Vegas Raiders sit at 2-2. That means it’s time to hand out some grades after the first four games of the season.

Quarterbacks: B

Could Derek Carr stand to be more aggressive? Sure. Does he need to better protect the ball on potential sacks? Absolutely. Other than that, Carr has been fine this season. He’s yet to throw an interception and has a passer rating of 113.6. It hasn’t been perfect for Carr, but he’s hasn’t been the team’s problem at all. If Carr continues this pace for the final three-quarters of the 2020 season, he will likely again set career highs in completion percentage, passing yards and quarterback rating.

Running Backs: B-

Josh Jacobs has been fine this season, but his efficiency has dropped some as he is averaging just 3.6 yards per carry. Jalen Richard made a big play against New Orleans in Week 2, but he also had a critical fumble in that game as well. The group has been above average this season, but they haven’t been spectacular.

Wide Receivers: C+

Unfortunately, we haven’t seen this group play together much as Henry Ruggs III was injured in the first half of Week 1. Then, Bryan Edwards suffered an injury in Week 3, forcing both Nelson Agholor and Zay Jones into the starting lineup. While those players have kept the offense afloat, neither scare defenses down the field. The unit itself has been fine, but they haven’t really added much value either. Hunter Renfrow has been the unquestioned top player in this group through the first month of the season.

Tight Ends: A-

Outside of a Darren Waller fumble in Week 4, this group has been nearly flawless in the first month of the season. The Raiders continue to rotate Jason Witten and Foster Moreau as the No. 2 tight end, but this unit starts and ends with Waller. Through for games, he’s caught 29 passes for 247 yards and one touchdown. He’s well on his way to making the first Pro Bowl of his career.

Offensive Line: B

Considering all of the injuries on the team’s offensive line, the unit has actually held up remarkably well. Richie Incognito, Trent Brown and Sam Young have all missed time, but the team has been able to function on offense. Denzelle Good has been fantastic playing at left guard and right tackle, proving to be a valuable reserve. The Raiders believe they will get their full offensive line back in time, but the group has been great in the first few games of the year.

Defensive Line: D+

Outside of Maurice Hurst, the entire defensive line has been underwhelming to start the season. Maxx Crosby has recorded a few sacks, but he is far too inconsistent on a down-by-down basis. Clelin Ferrell can make plays as a run defender, but needs to contribute more as a pass-rusher.

The biggest disappointment has been Maliek Collins, who is currently Pro Football Focus’ third-worst interior defensive linemen for the 2020 season. He has yet to record a sack and has only been near the quarterback two or three times. This unit desperately needs its young defensive linemen to step up in order to give their defense a shot.

Linebackers: D

Unfortunately, the linebackers have been the team’s biggest weakness on the roster. Cory Littleton has been among the league’s worst linebackers (according to Pro Football Focus) and Nick Kwiatkoski has been in-and-out of the lineup. Nicholas Morrow has struggled as well and the linebacker has continued to haunt the Raiders. However, the Raiders are hopeful that their newly-acquired linebackers can become more comfortable in the scheme over the final 12 games.

Defensive Backs: C-

The most inconsistent positional group for the Raiders has been in the secondary. Trayvon Mullen has quickly developed into a star and strong safety Johnathan Abram has had his moments, as well. But Nevin Lawson, Damon Arnette, Erik Harris and Lamarcus Joyner have all had their rough patches.

This unit will be tested in a big way in Week 5 as they will take on the Kansas City Chiefs. We’ve seen the potential this group has, but can they put it all together against a big-time opponent? We shall see.

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