The Las Vegas Raiders have done a lot of good things this offseason. Pete Carroll will be a major upgrade over Antonio Pierce at head coach, and Geno Smith is miles better than the Gardner Minshew-Aidan O’Connell tandem from last season.
Ashton Jeanty will breathe life into the NFL’s worst rushing attack from last season, and tight end Brock Bowers should be even better in his second season. However, the Raiders are unfortunate to be stuck in arguably the toughest division in the NFL.
The Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Chargers and Denver Broncos all made the playoffs last season. The Chargers and Broncos are both young, so they should be better, while the Chiefs are coming off their fifth Super Bowl appearance in six seasons.
The Raiders could be building something special, but it’s going to be an uphill battle to move up the standings in the AFC West.
Raiders Predicted to Finish Last in AFC West
The Raiders’ roster and coaching staff are in the best place it has been in years, but there’s still work to do. Star defensive tackle Christian Wilkins might not be able to play this season due to injury, and the team is relying on youth in a number of key position groups.
It feels like the Raiders are still a year away from really starting to make some noise. Bleacher Report’s Moe Moton projected Las Vegas to finish last in the AFC West for the 2025 season.
“The Silver and Black significantly upgraded their coaching staff, hiring head coach Pete Carroll and offensive coordinator Chip Kelly. They traded for two-time Pro Bowl quarterback Geno Smith. The team also drafted top running back Ashton Jeanty with the No. 6 overall pick,” Moton wrote. “With those additions, Las Vegas can hang with some of the top teams across the league.
“That said, the Raiders must make up more ground between their roster and legitimate playoff-contending clubs.”
Concerns at wide receiver and in the secondary could be what sinks the Raiders’ playoff chances.
“Las Vegas has two rookie receivers in Jack Bech and Dont’e Thornton Jr., who may have to take on prominent roles as complementary playmakers to All-Pro tight end Brock Bowers and wideout Jakobi Meyers,” Moton wrote. “The coaching staff must also sort out the starters at both guard positions.
“The Raiders have a mostly unproven secondary. They don’t have a sure-fire starter at cornerback. Safety Isaiah Pola-Mao has to make more impact plays this year than he did as a first-year starter in 2024.”
Raiders Could Still Theoretically Make the Playoffs
Now, just because the Raiders are likely to finish last in the AFC West doesn’t mean they will definitely miss the playoffs. The NFL allows three wild card teams to make the playoffs, so it’s possible that all four teams in a division could be in the postseason.
However, the Raiders would likely need to win at least 10 games. Moton doesn’t believe that Las Vegas is that far along yet.
“In matchups against prolific passing attacks, Las Vegas could struggle to limit big plays and slow down opponents with dynamic receivers,” Moton wrote.
“The Raiders could win seven or eight games, yet still finish last in the AFC West.”
