Tag: Raiders starting lineup

Raiders projected starting lineup after 2024 NFL Draft

With the Draft class plugged in, here is the Raiders projected starting lineup

There is a lot to be sorted out between now and the start of the season. The Raiders don’t even know how some of the competitions will play out between incumbents and newcomers. But based on what we know now, and who is currently on the roster, we can certainly make some projections.

(Newcomers in bold)

Offense

QB Gardner Minshew
RB Zamir White
WR Davante Adams
WR Jakobi Meyers
TE Brock Bowers
TE2 Michael Mayer
LT Kolton Miller
LG Dylan Parham
C Andre James
RG Jackson Powers-Johnson
RT Thayer Munford

Notes: Their top two picks — Brock Bowers and Jackson Powers-Johnson — should take on starting roles right away. While third round pick DJ Glaze will compete with Thayer Munford for the starting right tackle job and sixth round RB Dylan Laube will figure to do most of his work on special teams early on.

Minshew and second-year QB Aidan O’Connell will battle for the starting QB job, but Minshew is more seasoned and proven, so I would put him as the Day one starter.

Defense

DT Christian Wilkins
DT John Jenkins
ED Maxx Crosby
ED Malcolm Koonce
LB Robert Spillane
LB Divine Deablo
CB Jack Jones
CB Brandon Facyson
SCB Nate Hobbs
SS Marcus Epps
FS Tre’von Moehrig

Notes: No defensive players from this year’s class currently projected to be immediate starters. First off, they didn’t select their first defender until Day 3 when they took raw cornerback Decamerion Richdardson. He has all the physical tools, which will help him on special teams for now, but otherwise he’s a development prospect.

Special teams is the way for all the Raiders’ Day three picks. The others are LB Tommy Eichenberg, S Trey Taylor, and CB MJ Devonshire.

What Raiders starting lineup might look like if season started today

With free agency two weeks old, here is what Raiders starting lineup might look like if the season started today

Today marks exactly two weeks since the open of free agency. Thus far the Raiders have been busy. They’ve acquired 20 new players either as free agent additions or via trade. The question is, however, how many of those new players would be considered started based on the current makeup of the team?

Let’s take a look at what that starting lineup might be if the season started today.

*denotes newly acquired player

Offense

QB Derek Carr
RB Josh Jacobs
FB Jakob Johnson*
WR Davante Adams*
WR Bryan Edwards
SWR Hunter Renfrow
TE Darren Waller
LT Kolton Miller
LG John Simpson
C Andre James
RG Alex Leatherwood
RT Denzelle Good

Notes: There are three positions among this lineup that are not settled — WR, G, and T.

Bryan Edwards will get pushed by newcomer Demarcus Robinson. Though I think Edwards will win that challenge, it could ultimately end up coming down to what type of receiver they want on the other side of Adams.

Guard and tackle are unsettled because the team has several players who can player either position (but none who are a lock to start at RT) and it’s about finding the right combination. Depending on whether Leatherwood shows improvement as a tackle, he and Good could be interchangeable on the right side. Overall, it’s not a great situation that they don’t have a solid right tackle option, just several possibles.

Defense

DT Bilal Nichols*
DT Andrew Billings*
ED Maxx Crosby
ED Chandler Jones*
LB Denzel Perryman
LB Divine Deablo
CB Trayvon Mullen
CB Rock Ya-Sin*
SCB Nate Hobbs
SS Johnathan Abram
FS Tre’von Moehrig

Notes: Unsettled positions based on current players on the roster are DT and LB.

Once again the Raiders signed a bunch of DTs. But unlike last year, none of the players they added have shown starter potential. Vernon Butler and Kyle Peko will push for playing time as well.

Deablo finished last season strong at the outside linebacker spot, but he will have challengers for his job from newcomers Micah Kiser, Jayon Brown, and Kyle Fackrell.

There has been a lot of rumors flying around that the Raiders are interested in signing free agent safety Tyrann Mathieu. If there is any truth to that and they somehow end up landing him, obviously he would be inserted as the starter over Johnathan Abram.