2024 Las Vegas Raiders Preview

Offensive Line

Las Vegas fell to 30th in rushing yards (1,542) with 11 rushing touchdowns and seven runs over 20 yards. They averaged 3.7 yards per rush and 24.3 carries per game.

The Raiders dropped to 23rd in passing yards (3,666) with 20 touchdowns and 18 interceptions. They gained 6.6 yards per pass attempt with only 35 completions of 20 yards or more. Their offensive line allowed 40 sacks.

In the second and third rounds of the 2024 NFL Draft, Las Vegas added two offensive linemen – C Jackson Power-Johnson and T DJ Glaze. Power-Johnson has limitations in his range and quickness, but he goes to battle with a plan and a goal of winning more times than not. There will be better all-around players at his position, but he’ll have the motor and desire to outwork them on every down. Glaze has the look of an upside player who can control a wide area of the field. His challenge is holding off elite passer rushers with speed on the outside and controlling their moves when they cross back in his face.

In the offseason, Las Vegas lost T Jermaine Eluemunor to the Giants, and they didn’t resign G Greg Van Roten. They added T Andrus Peat for depth on their offensive line.

Offense

Quarterback issues and a severe step back in the run game led to Las Vegas ranking poorly in offense plays (970 – 29th). They ran the ball 42.6% of the time. In 2022, the Raiders ran the ball only 15 more times but gained 517 more yards.

Quarterbacks

Aidan O’Connell, LV

O’Connell might be Josh McDaniel’s dart at finding the next upside pocket passer with slow feet, a la Tom Brady. He handles himself well when working the first two levels of the defense, thanks to reads and timing. O’Connell doesn’t have a big arm, requiring more air on deep throws and creating less accuracy. He gets the ball out quickly to avoid losing plays while also hanging tough when asked to make a late throw on a long-developing play. His next step is improving his feel for the pass rush and staying connected with his throwing mechanics under duress.

Over 33 games at Purdue, O’Connell completed two-thirds of his passes for 9,218 yards with 65 touchdowns and 30 interceptions. His best year came in 2021 (3,711/28). He brings no value to the run game besides the occasional score and short runs for first downs.

Injuries last season led to O’Connell starting 11 games (5-6). Over his final four games, he tossed eight touchdowns with no interceptions, highlighted by success in two matchups (248/4 and 302/2). He struggled over his first seven games (196 yards per contest) with four touchdowns and seven interceptions. O’Connell gained only 6.5 yards per pass attempt.

Fantasy Outlook: The Raiders have two frontline wide receivers (Davante Adams and Jakobi Meyers) and rising stars at tight end (Michael Mayer and Brock Bowers). O’Connell goes undrafted in most leagues, as the fantasy market ranks Gardner Minshew ahead of him. With an entire season of starts, I have O’Connell projected to gain 4,200+ yards with 26 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.

Gardner Minshew, LV

Over his first two seasons as Jacksonville's starting quarterback, Minshew went 7-13. His touchdown-to-interception ratio (37:11) graded well, and he averaged 240 passing yards per game. However, a thumb issue led to him losing his starting job in the second half of 2020.

Minshew appeared in nine games over two seasons for the Eagles. He completed 62.5% of his passes for 1,102 with seven touchdowns and four interceptions while chipping in with 16 rushes for 24 yards and one score. In his two starts in 2022, Minshew threw for 629 yards with three touchdowns and three interceptions.

An injury to Anthony Richardson gave Minshew 13 starts last season, leading to a 7-6 record. He gained 3,405 yards with 18 touchdowns and nine interceptions. His best two showings came in Week 7 (334/4) and Week 13 (314/2). Minshew has one touchdown or fewer in nine of his starts. He averaged 204 passing yards and one score over his final five contests.

Fantasy Outlook: The experience card goes to Minshew in this offense, and he does tend to minimize his mistakes passing the ball. This starting job will have a cleaner outlook as the summer moves on.

Other Options: Anthony Brown, Carter Bradley

Running Backs

The Raiders’ running backs had regression across the board. It started with subpar play by Josh Jacobs. They set three-year lows in catches (73), receiving yards (537), targets (99), and receiving touchdowns (0). Their backs gained only 4.0 yards per rush, compared to 4.80 in 2022.