Ranking The 2016 Oakland Raiders 53-man Roster: 20 to 11

Ranking the 2016 Oakland Raiders 53-man roster, from the worst to best player that was on the active roster at the end of the season. Part 4.

We continue our series of ranking the Oakland Raiders 2016 roster, from best to worst.

Part one included ranks 53 to 41, and can be viewed by clicking here.

Part two included ranks 40 to 31, and can be viewed by clicking here.

Part three included ranks 30 to 21, and can be viewed by clicking here.

Let’s jump right into it.

20. Seth Roberts

Seth Roberts is probably the most exciting/frustrating player on this entire roster. Through the first eight games of the season, Roberts racked up 25 receptions for 277 yards and 4 touchdowns, but then fell off significantly through the last eight games recording just 13 receptions for 120 yards and 1 touchdown.

Seth had his moments this season in which he came up big in a needed situation, but his barrage of drops are becoming more and more painful to watch. Roberts has become a fan-favorite in Oakland due to his story as an undrafted free agent and his clutch touchdowns, but the Raiders can and should upgrade his position this offseason.

In this upcoming draft, it would be nice to see the Raiders target a slot receiver in the mid-rounds who can take over the role as the no. 3 wideout.

19. Denico Autry

After a slow start to the season, Denico Autry was slowly able to come along during the season. Although there was very little to no interior pass rush, Autry was one of the few who was able to make some impact.

On the season, Autry had 29 tackles, 2.5 sacks, and 2 fumble recoveries. Along with his contributions on the defensive line, he has also gained a reputation for blocking field goals. Due to his 6’5″ frame, he was able to get that occasional blocked field goal.

However, the Raiders need some help at defensive tackle, as Denico is more of a depth piece than a starter.

18. Jamize Olawale

In 2016, Jamize Olawale proved to arguably be the most versatile fullback in the entire league. On the season, Olawale led the NFL in every major category for fullbacks.

Along with his versatility, he proved to be an outstanding lead blocker, something the Raiders had been missing for quite some time.

Being able to incorporate Olawale in the offense more in 2017 should be on Todd Downing’s mind, as it pretty rare to see someone of Jamize’s size have as much speed as he does. I would not be surprised to see hm used in more 3rd & shorts situations this upcoming season.

17. Sebastian Janikowski

As the longest tenured player on the roster at 17 seasons, Sebastian Janikowski was expected to bring a level of consistency to his craft. Over the past two or three seasons, it did not appear that Seabass was performing at his usual level, which meant he was replaceable.

After beating out Giorgio Tavecchio in the preseason, Seabass went on to have a solid season for the Raiders. He went 29 of 35 (83%) for the season and 37-39 on extra points (95%).

Seabass’ signature moment came against the San Diego Chargers in Week 15, where he kicked four field goals to ensure a Raiders victory, and most importantly, clinching their first playoff berth since 2002.

16. Mario Edwards Jr.

Mario Edwards Jr. had the potential to be a breakout player for the Raiders in 2016, but injuries brought that process to a screeching halt.

Edwards suffered a hip injury in the first week of the preseason, and did not reappear in a uniform until Week 16 vs. the Colts. In the short time he was one the field, Edwards continued to flash his All-Pro ability. Despite him only playing in two regular season games and one playoff game, Edwards deserves to be ranked this high simply based on pure ability.

As most fans knew, interior pass rush was a massive issue. It hurt both Khalil Mack’s and Bruce Irvin’s ability to rush off the edges. Having a healthy Edwards in the between the two pass rushers will help with a lot of those issues.

The absence of Edwards hurt the Raiders more than anyone outside of Derek Carr. If Mario can impose his will on offensive lines like he did his rookie season, you can expect the front seven to dramatically improve in 2017.

15. Reggie Nelson

Being apart of the Raiders’ 2016 free agency class, Reggie Nelson was expected to bring solid play at the free safety position, as well as a veteran presence.

Through the first few weeks of the season, it was evident that Nelson had lost a few steps. Despite his subpar performance on the field, Reggie still got love from the voters, as he was elected to his second straight pro bowl.

For the season, Nelson had 65 tackles, 5 interceptions, and 12 passes defensed.

14. Perry Riley Jr.

On October 4, 2016, Reggie McKenzie signed Perry Riley Jr. to a contract through the end of 2016. Riley was a late addition to the roster, but was able to create some cohesiveness among the linebackers.

In 11 games, Riley accumulated 48 tackles, 2 forced fumbles, and 1 pass defensed. Not bad at all for a guy who was practically learning the defense on the fly.

Riley is expected to be a free agent in 2017, but the Raiders would be smart to retain his services. Perry is a solid run defender, and he gets by in pass coverage. The most valuable thing Riley brings to the Raiders is communication. Being that the Raiders have a relatively young defense, keeping Riley around would benefit all three levels of the defense as the “captain” at middle linebacker.

13. Jalen Richard

Jalen Richard was not only the most exciting player for the Raiders, but he did it as an undrafted free agent.

Richard was an effective running back, as well as a reliable pass catcher, and did a whole lot of work in the return game. Richard had 491 rushing yards, 1 rushing touchdown, good for an average of 5.9 yards per carry. Jalen also added 29 receptions for 194 yards and 2 receiving touchdowns. In the return game, Richard had over 700 total yards in returns, which ranked near the top in the NFL.

How Todd Downing will further utilize Jalen’s abilities remains to be seen, but the ‘Pocket Rocket’ appears to be someone who will be a weapon for Derek Carr for years to come. Tip of the cap to Reggie McKenzie for this find.

12. Karl Joseph

Being a first-round pick in the draft always adds a little extra added pressure, but Karl Joseph instead played with a chip on his shoulder.

Despite being listed as a smaller safety, Joseph played like a 240 pound linebacker when he was on the field. Karl was most effective when he was playing closer to the line of scrimmage for the secondary. He showed abilities in run-stopping, as well as being a quality cover guy.

The most eye-popping stat that proves this would be, according to ESPN, the Raiders had the best pass defense in the league in terms of QBR allowed. They allowed a league low QBR of 51.2, while allowing the highest when Joseph was not on the field with 76.2. These numbers showed the value of having Joseph in your lineup.

Keeping Karl healthy will be the biggest challenge. Due to his violent style of play, Joseph has ben banged up the past two years. Most recently, he missed four games this season due to turf toe. Health will be the biggest question moving forward with Karl Joseph.

11. Marquette King

As the leader of ‘Kicksquad’, Marquette King was one of the driving forces behind Oakland’s elite play on special teams.

For the season, King was 2nd in the NFL in punting net average with 48.6, and also had the 6th most total yards in punting with nearly 4,000 yards. Marquette has become a weapon and a vital piece in helping the Raiders win the field position battle in 2016.

Due to his above average punting abilities, King earned second team All-Pro honors, and I am sure this will just be the beginning to Marquette’s success. The Raiders have been spoiled by great punters, and it appears that Marquette King will fall in the lines of those great Raiders punters.