Predicting the Las Vegas Raiders’ 53-man roster and depth chart for 2020.
For the first time ever in 2020, the storied Raiders franchise will take the field as the “Las Vegas” Raiders and they will look a lot different than they did in 2019.
The Raiders have been re-shaping and re-tooling their roster since Jon Gruden was hired as the team’s new head coach two years ago, and this might just be his best group yet.
Although there’s still work to be done with this Raiders roster, Gruden and general manager Mike Mayock have gotten this team to a point, at least on paper, where it looks like these guys can compete in the AFC West in 2020.
So which players will make up the roster? Who is going to be starting?
There are plenty of intriguing position battles throughout the Raiders’ roster, and critical new players to look at in almost every position group.
Let’s take a look through each position group for the Raiders and, prior to any on-field competition of any sort, try to predict how their 53-man roster and depth chart will look when they hit the field for their first game of the 2020 season.
Quarterback (3, 3/53)
- 1. Derek Carr
- 2. Marcus Mariota
- 3. Nathan Peterman
Everyone knows how much Jon Gruden loves his quarterbacks.
The Raiders’ big move this offseason at QB was signing free agent Marcus Mariota, a former second-overall pick whom general manager Mike Mayock had rated as his top QB in the 2015 class.
Although the Raiders seem committed to Carr at this point after passing on a number of quarterbacks in the past three draft classes, you have to wonder how highly this team thinks of Mariota and how short Carr’s leash will be.
Not that Mariota is coming in fresh off of a great season or anything like that. Both he and Jameis Winston have had to accept backup roles with their rookie contracts now in the rearview.
Nathan Peterman sticks around with Carr and Mariota as a third QB in this projection.
Special teams (3, 6/53)
- 1. Daniel Carlson (K)
- 2. AJ Cole III (P)
- 3. Trent Sieg (LS)
No surprises here, though the Raiders did bring in some college free agents — kicker Dominik Eberle and long snapper Liam McCullough — to provide camp competition.
Barring a complete collapse by either Carlson or Sieg, I think this unit is pretty much in pen.
Running back (4, 10/53)
- 1. Josh Jacobs
- 2. Lynn Bowden Jr. (rookie)
- 3. Devontae Booker
- 4. Alec Ingold (FB)
The Raiders got themselves a keeper at running back in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft — Josh Jacobs.
Even though he only played in 13 games last season, Jacobs ran for over 1,100 yards and seven touchdowns, averaging 4.8 yards per attempt.
He is the Raiders’ bell cow at running back, and he’s joined by a very exciting rookie prospect in Lynn Bowden Jr. out of Kentucky. Bowden played receiver, running back, and even some quarterback in his three seasons with the Wildcats.
He has the type of dynamic ability to add a spark behind Jacobs for the Raiders.
The team also added free agent Devontae Booker from their division rival Broncos. Booker was a special teams player and receiving specialist at running back for the Broncos, though he also led the team in rushing in 2016.
Alec Ingold returns as the Raiders’ fullback for 2020.
Wide receiver (6, 16/53)
- 1. Tyrell Williams
- 2. Henry Ruggs III (rookie)
- 3. Hunter Renfrow
- 4. Nelson Agholor
- 5. Zay Jones
- 6. Bryan Edwards (rookie)
The Raiders made some significant upgrades to their wide receiver room over the past 18 months, signing free agent Tyrell Williams in 2019 before drafting slot receiver Hunter Renfrow, who combined to be the team’s second- and third-leading receivers after tight end Darren Waller last season.
They are joined now by 2020 additions Henry Ruggs III, Nelson Agholor, and Bryan Edwards.
The Raiders used their top pick in the 2020 NFL Draft on Ruggs and are hoping he can provide the same type of impact on the game as they have to face twice a year in Kansas City’s Tyreek Hill.
Agholor’s career once appeared very promising but he has struggled in recent years, as has former second-round pick Zay Jones. Both players hope to rebound now that they are in Jon Gruden’s offense.
Bryan Edwards, when healthy, was probably a second-round player at South Carolina. He is a gem for the Raiders and could eventually make Tyrell Williams replaceable.
Tight end (4, 20/53)
- 1. Darren Waller
- 2. Jason Witten
- 3. Foster Moreau
- 4. Derek Carrier
I love that the Raiders added some more veteran leadership to their offense with Jason Witten, giving them a couple of Monday Night Football alums in Jon Gruden and Witten together on the same sideline, but you have to wonder why they would want to take snaps away from 2019 rookie Foster Moreau.
Regardless, no one is stealing snaps from Darren Waller, one of the NFL’s top breakout players in 2019 and one of the coolest stories out there.
Waller was a wide receiver at Georgia Tech (so you don’t doubt his willingness or ability to block) who morphed into a tremendous weapon at the tight end position last year with 90 receptions for 1,145 yards.
He caught three touchdowns while Foster Moreau caught another five touchdowns, giving the Raiders one of the best tight end groups in the NFL.
Derek Carrier has also proven to be a capable and reliable backup at a number of different stops in the NFL.
Offensive line (9, 29/53)
- 1. Kolton Miller (LT)
- 2. Trent Brown (RT)
- 3. Gabe Jackson (RG)
- 4. Rodney Hudson (C)
- 5. Richie Incognito (LG)
- 6. David Sharpe (T)
- 7. John Simpson (G) – Rookie
- 8. Jordan Devey (C)
- 9. Denzelle Good (G)
The Raiders’ starting five on the offensive line is very good, one of the best in the NFL.
Despite being considered a massive reach at the time, former first-round pick Kolton Miller has developed into a quality starting left tackle in the NFL and the Raiders paired him up with Trent Brown, a bookend at right tackle who can absolutely shut his side of the field down.
Rodney Hudson remains the premier pass-protecting center in the game at the center position.
Richie Incognito and Gabe Jackson are the team’s starting guards, but for how much longer?
Incognito is still playing well into his mid-late 30s, but there were rumors Jackson could be traded at the time of the 2020 NFL Draft. If he is traded or cut, it pushes reserve Eric Cush back into the roster projection here.
The selection of Clemson’s John Simpson was a shrewd one in the fourth round for the Raiders. He could be starting sooner rather than later.
Defensive line (8, 37/53)
- 1. Maxx Crosby (DE)
- 2. Clelin Ferrell (DE)
- 3. Maliek Collins (DT)
- 4. Maurice Hurst (DT)
- 5. Arden Key (DE)
- 6. Carl Nassib (DE)
- 7. Johnathan Hankins (DT)
- 8. PJ Hall (DT)
The Raiders have assembled a very talented defensive front and with the rapid development of defensive end Maxx Crosby from the 2019 rookie class, this group appears poised to make one of the biggest leaps forward of any position group on the Raiders in 2020.
Crosby led the team with 10 sacks and 14 quarterback hits, while fellow rookie Clelin Ferrell added 4.5 sacks and 8 more hits.
Maurice Hurst was already a strong interior presence as a pass rusher, but he is now joined on Rod Marinelli’s front by Maliek Collins, a stud pass rusher from the Dallas Cowboys who, when healthy, is very tough to handle on the interior defensive line.
The Raiders’ second defensive line unit could be a nightmare for teams because Carl Nassib, Arden Key, Johnathan Hankins, and PJ Hall are all talented, physical bullies up front.
Linebacker (5, 42/53)
- 1. Cory Littleton
- 2. Nick Kwiatkoski
- 3. Tanner Muse (rookie)
- 4. Kyle Wilber
- 5. Nicholas Morrow
The Raiders made some critical additions at the linebacker position this offseason, perhaps revamping the entire starting unit in one fell swoop.
They made one of the biggest splashes in free agency, signing veteran Cory Littleton to a free agent contract. Littleton is one of the best three-down linebackers in the entire NFL right now in terms of his ability to play the run and cover running backs and tight ends out of the backfield.
He was joined in the Raiders’ free agent haul by Chicago Bears linebacker Nick Kwiatkoski.
Kwiatkoski was mainly a reserve for the Bears in his first three seasons, but he became a starter this past year for them and was tremendous, racking up 76 total tackles, eight tackles for loss, and three sacks.
To complement those players, the Raiders drafted Clemson safety Tanner Muse, who will be making the transition to the linebacker position in a move I absolutely love.
Muse’s athleticism and coverage abilities along with his physicality make him the perfect candidate to step into the box and play linebacker in the NFL.
Kyle Wilber and Nicholas Morrow are key special teams players for the Raiders. Morrow was also a significant player for the Raiders’ defense last year and will be a key backup or starter over Muse.
Defensive backs (11, 53/53)
- 1. Trayvon Mullen (CB)
- 2. Damon Arnette (CB) – Rookie
- 3. LaMarcus Joyner (DB)
- 4. Prince Amukamara (CB)
- 5. Amik Robertson (CB) – Rookie
- 6. Jonathan Abram (S)
- 7. Damarious Randall (S)
- 8. Jeff Heath (S)
- 9. Isaiah Johnson (CB)
- 10. Erik Harris (S)
- 11. Nevin Lawson (CB)
The Raiders drafted Trayvon Mullen with a second-round pick a year ago, and he appears on track to be this team’s CB1 for the foreseeable future.
To pair with him, they selected Ohio State’s Damon Arnette somewhat surprisingly in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft. Arnette had a fantastic senior season at Ohio State with eight pass breakups and a 96-yard pick-six.
The Raiders also drafted Louisiana Tech’s Amik Robertson, one of the top nickel cornerback prospects in the 2020 class.
Coming back for 2020 are last year’s first-round pick Jonathan Abram and big-money free agent pickup LaMarcus Joyner, a former teammate of 2020 free agent prize Cory Littleton.
The Raiders also added safety Damarious Randall to the mix with the departure of Karl Joseph, and one very underrated move was the addition of veteran Jeff Heath, who has been a steady player in the NFL for the Dallas Cowboys.
The Raiders also signed veteran Prince Amukamara to solidify the cornerback depth on their roster and perhaps to utilize Damon Arnette as a nickel initially in his rookie season.
Depth chart prediction
QB: Derek Carr, Marcus Mariota, Nathan Peterman
RB: Josh Jacobs, Lynn Bowden, Devontae Booker, Alec Ingold (FB)
WR: Tyrell Williams, Nelson Agholor
WR: Henry Ruggs, Zay Jones, Bryan Edwards
SLOT: Hunter Renfrow
TE: Darren Waller, Jason Witten, Foster Moreau, Derek Carrier
LT: Kolton Miller, David Sharpe
LG: Richie Incognito, Denzelle Good
C: Rodney Hudson, Jordan Devey
RG: Gabe Jackson, John Simpson
RT: Trent Brown
DE: Maxx Crosby, Carl Nassib
DT: Maliek Collins, PJ Hall
DT: Maurice Hurst, Johnathan Hankins
DE: Clelin Ferrell, Arden Key
LB: Cory Littleton, Kyle Wilber
LB: Nick Kwiatkoski
LB: Tanner Muse, Nicholas Morrow
CB: Trayvon Mullen, Damon Arnette
CB: Prince Amukamara, Nevin Lawson, Isaiah Johnson
NCB/S: LaMarcus Joyner, Amik Robertson
S: Jonathan Abram, Jeff Heath
S: Damarious Randall, Erik Harris
The Raiders have a good-looking depth chart at this point with plenty of intriguing young, home-grown talent along with prominent free agent additions. If they can stay healthy, they should be a tough contender in the AFC West in 2020.