Raiders Should Consider Kickoff Changes When Drafting

The Las Vegas Raiders should think about draft prospects who could thrive in the new NFL kickoff format.

For months now, fans and media have expressed the areas they think need to be addressed on the Las Vegas Raiders' roster in the 2024 NFL Draft.

With any team's fandom, though, rarely is the special teams aspect of the game considered. With a new kickoff format being implemented next season, though, teams should take special teams into account now more than ever.

On Friday's episode of "The Raiders NFL Draft Podcast," former Oakland Raider and NFL Media analyst Bucky Brooks discussed how the kickoff change helps certain prospects who may have originally been lower on teams' radars.

"I think the added value being multi-phased players -- being able to excel in the kicking game and also to return," Brooks said. "And so, it's so hard to find those guys. Well now, with the kickoff rules, man, they're making it wide open. Wide open in terms of: if you can get past first level, you may score.

"It's an interesting thing, but like, we're at the part of the roster that ... really concerns everybody. Because it's not about pleasing everybody, it's about making sure that you get the right kind of stuff, you get the right kind of people in the building, you do all that other stuff. With the kicking units and the special teams, finding those starters that can enhance it by returning kicks or by covering kicks, yeah, it makes a huge difference.

"That's why some of the guys that we talk about that had legitimate return skills are going to get an added boost when it comes to draft day."

The new kickoff proposal was approved at the NFL Owners' Meetings last month. It will have a one-year trial before it is determined if the format is implemented in the future.

"I think that we're still going to have to tinker with it," NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said at the meetings. "I think it's one of those things, when you get it in play, you look at things and we'll re-evaluate that as the season's going on. And if it's appropriate to make changes in the future, we will."

The alignments and details of the new kickoff format can be read at operations.nfl.com.

The NFL Draft will be held in Detroit, Mich., on April 25-27, 2024. The Las Vegas Raiders currently have the No. 13 overall pick.

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