For the most part, the Las Vegas Raiders roster is set for the 2020 season. They may sign another veteran player or two, but this is likely the roster they will have heading into training camp and into the regular season.
But which 53 players will the Raiders carry this season? Which players might be on the outside looking in? Today, we are making our way-too-early 53-man roster prediction for the Raiders in the 2020 season.
Quarterbacks (3)
1. Derek Carr
2. Marcus Mariota
3. DeShone Kizer
The Raiders have significantly upgraded their quarterback room compared to where they stood at this time last season. Gone is Mike Glennon and in is Marcus Mariota. The most fascinating battle in this group will be for the third quarterback spot as DeShone Kizer will battle Nathan Peterman for that spot. But given Kizer’s arm and athleticism, look for Jon Gruden to hold onto the former second-round pick just a bit longer.
Running Back/Fullback (4)
1. Josh Jacobs
2. Jalen Richard
3. Lynn Bowden Jr.
4. Alec Ingold (FB)
What a difference a year makes. Heading into the 2019 NFL Draft, the Raiders weren’t sure who would lead them in touches out of the backfield. The team signed Isaiah Crowell, but he got hurt before he was even able to participate in a single practice. That led to the Raiders drafting Josh Jacobs at pick No. 24 and he became an instant star.
Jacobs is expected to carry more of the load this season for the Raiders, but he now has adequate help behind him. Jalen Richard will continue to work in the passing game as he is one of the best receiving backs in the NFL. Las Vegas drafted Lynn Bowden Jr. in the third round and he will be making the transition to running back. He will moonlight some at receiver as well, but expect him to see a few carries per game out of the backfield.
Fullback Alec Ingold was incredible as a rookie and will likely see an increased role in Year 2 with the Raiders. Overall, the Raiders backfield is one of the strongest spots on their entire roster.
Wide Receiver (6)
1. Henry Ruggs III
2. Tyrell Williams
3. Hunter Renfrow
4. Zay Jones
5. Bryan Edwards
6. Nelson Agholor
No unit has seen more turnover in the last year than the wide receiver room. Sitting at the top of the depth chart is first-round pick Henry Ruggs III, who will be given every opportunity to start as a rookie. He and veteran Tyrell Williams will likely start on the outside with Hunter Renfrow playing a significant amount of snaps in the slot.
After that, the depth chart gets kind of wonky. Zay Jones was acquired via trade last year from the Bills and still has the athletic profile that Jon Gruden loves for an outside receiver. Nelson Agholor was signed this offseason and he can play in the slot and on the outside. Third-round pick Bryan Edwards projects as an “X” receiver in the NFL, but he may need some time to get up to speed after dealing with a foot injury this offseason.
All in all, it’s a young group of receivers that may need some time to grow into their roles, but it is a significantly more talented group than what they entered the year with during the 2019 season.
Tight End (4)
1. Darren Waller
2. Foster Moreau
3. Jason Witten
4. Nick O’Leary
Arguably the strongest positional group for the Raiders entering 2020 is at tight end. Darren Waller emerged as a star last season and his primed to make his first run at a Pro Bowl in his career. 2019 fourth-round pick Foster Moreau became the No. 2 tight end last season and developed into a fantastic blocker.
In the offseason, the Raiders signed veteran tight ends Jason Witten and Nick O’Leary to add to their strength. Witten is no longer an elite receiver, but he can still function well as a blocker and a reliable pass-catcher as a No. 3 TE. O’Leary will compete with Derrek Carrier and Paul Butler for the final tight end spot.
Offensive Line (9)
LT: Kolton Miller
LG: Richie Incognito
OC: Rodney Hudson
RG: Gabe Jackson
RT: Trent Brown
6. David Sharpe
7. Denzelle Good
8. John Simpson
9. Brandon Parker
The Raiders will return all five of their starting offensive linemen from the 2019 season and it is one of the best units in the NFL. Kolton Miller took a step in the right direction during his sophomore season and the additions of Richie Incognito and Trent Brown proved to be smart decisions by Mike Mayock and Jon Gruden.
The Raiders are hoping that fourth-round pick John Simpson can become the team’s swing guard and potentially develop into a starter down the road. Third-year tackle Brandon Parker will need to have a strong training camp to make this roster as he could be pushed off the team for a more reliable and consistent player.
Interior Defensive Line (4)
1. Maliek Collins
2. Johnathan Hankins
3. Maurice Hurst
4. P.J. Hall
The Raiders added defensive tackle Maliek Collins in free agency this offseason and he is expected to be the team’s full-time three-technique in 2020. Backing him up will be Maurice Hurst, who did not play as well in 2019 as he did as a rookie. However, Hurst should still see the field quite a bit as a rotational defensive tackle.
Johnathan Hankins will start alongside Collins at the one-technique position. He isn’t someone who is going to pressure the quarterback much, but he is one of the best run defenders in the NFL. Third-year player P.J. Hall was singled out by Mike Mayock at the NFL Combine as someone who needs to make a leap in order to find the field in 2020. It wouldn’t be a surprise if the Raiders tried to move him before the season opener.
Edge Rusher (5)
1. Maxx Crosby
2. Clelin Ferrell
3. Carl Nassib
4. Arden Key
5. Jeremiah Valoaga
If there is one spot the Raiders could use more depth at before the 2020 season begins, it’s at the defensive end position. New defensive line coach Rod Marinelli loves to use waves of pass rushers, and that usually means he needs five to six competent players on the roster. The top-four seem set in stone with Crosby, Ferrell, Nassib and Key, but the unit could use another inside-outside rusher.
Look for the Raiders to try to upgrade this spot before the season begins either via trade or by a veteran free-agent signing.
Linebacker (5)
1. Cory Littleton
2. Nick Kwiatkoski
3. Nicholas Morrow
4. Marquel Lee
5. Tanner Muse
One of the Raiders’ biggest offseason tasks was to improve their linebacker corps and that is just what they did. Mike Mayock brought into two solid veterans in Cory Littleton and Nick Kwiatkoski, both of who are expected to start on Day 1 for the Raiders.
The other noteworthy addition the Raiders made to this unit was drafting Tanner Muse in the third-round. While he is more of a special teams player at this point in his career, Muse as the athleticism and size to be an excellent nickel linebacker in the NFL. Look for him to make a living on special teams in 2020, but to potentially steal some passing-down snaps later on in the season.
Cornerbacks (5)
1. Trayvon Mullen
2. Damon Arnette
3. Nevin Lawson
4. Isaiah Johnson
5. Amik Robertson
The Raiders used two picks in the 2020 NFL Draft to upgrade their cornerback room. They spent the No. 19 selection on Ohio State corner Damon Arnette and then their final pick on Lousiana Tech star Amik Robertson. Both are expected to play a ton as rookies with Arnette likely starting on the outside with Trayvon Mullen.
Another player to keep an eye on here is Isaiah Johnson, who missed most of his rookie season with an injury. Johnson has the ideal size and athleticism to play the position and started to show flashes by the end of the season. It will be fascinating to see if he can surpass Nevin Lawson on the depth chart at some point in the season.
Safety (5)
1. Johnathan Abram
2. Lamarcus Joyner
3. Damarious Randall
4. Erik Harris
5. Jeff Heath
Gone is Karl Joseph and in is Damarious Randall and Jeff Heath. Veteran Lamarcus Joyner may get more time at safety this season as the Raiders drafted slot cornerback Amik Robertson in the fourth round. Randall will likely play the free safety spot when Joyner is in the slot or off the field.
Heath is another free-agent signing from the Cowboys and he can play both safety spots for the Raiders. However, look for him to be more of a reserve player as he does most of his work on special teams. Despite the loss of Joseph, this is a better and deeper group than last year. An improvement here by this unit would go a long way in fixing the Raiders’ defense.
Specialist (3)
PK Daniel Carlson
P A.J. Cole
LS Trent Sieg
The Raiders will be returning all three of their specialists from the 2019 season. However, don’t be surprised if the team looks to upgrade the unit as
Daniel Carlson took a step back last season, making only 73 percent of his kicks. He was 13 of 14 on kicks inside of 40 yards, but everything else was a struggle. Carlson missed six of his 12 kicks beyond 40 yards and it didn’t help that he missed two extra points as well. The Raiders need Carlson to become more consistent or else they will be in the market for a kicker once again.
