How Strong is Raiders' Young Offensive Core?

The Las Vegas Raiders have talented young players on the offensive side of the ball.

The Las Vegas Raiders know they have to improve on offense going into the 2024 season. 

The Raiders struggled offensively for much of the 2023 season, scoring just 15.7 points per game before Josh McDaniels was fired as head coach and Antonio Pierce took over. 

They started to find an offensive groove when they moved forward with Aidan O’Connell at quarterback instead of Jimmy Garoppolo. Their points per game total ballooned from 15.7 to 22.8, largely assisted by a 63-point outing against the Los Angeles Chargers. 

The Raiders moved on from some veteran offensive players, including Garoppolo and running back Josh Jacobs. They are moving forward with some of their young players at those positions, including O’Connell at quarterback and Zamir White to replace Jacobs. 

But are those players they want to rely on to play significant snaps going forward? Or do they want to add players to those positions to supplement them?

Well, they already have done the latter. The Raiders brought in quarterback Gardner Minshew to compete with O’Connell for the starting job and added running back Alexander Mattison to spell White. That doesn’t mean they don’t trust their young players; they just want to add veteran insurance. 

In the case of O’Connell and Minshew, however, it is anyone’s guess who will be the starter in 2024. Minshew has shown he can keep teams in the playoff hunt, as he did last season with the Indianapolis Colts. O’Connell, on the other hand, has the trust and belief of his coaching staff. 

The Raiders also have young talent at other positions offensively. Wide receiver Tre Tucker flashed during his rookie season, as did tight end Michael Mayer, who the Raiders expect big things from in the future. Then there's Dylan Parham, who has the left guard spot locked down, so the Raiders are set in some spots offensively. 

Pierce and his squad were just outside the playoff picture in 2023, so they believe they can be a postseason team with some of these players making significant contributions. 

This is especially true for White, who was very efficient at the end of the season for the Raiders' run game and helped them win games down the stretch. 

The Raiders’ young core has some promising pieces. The 2024 season will show if they can depend on them to get them back into the playoffs.

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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