Oakland Raiders not represented on PFF’s top 101 players list
By Brad Weiss
Pro Football Focus recently released their list of the top 101 players in the NFL in 2018, and there was not a single Oakland Raiders player listed.
The Oakland Raiders struggled through a 4-12 season in 2018, as they went into the year with a bunch of new faces, and some rookies expected to step up in year one. It did not help that they traded away star edge rushers Khalil Mack right before the season, a move that took a toll on the team according to veteran tackle Donald Penn.
Over the next few months, Oakland would find themselves as the first team eliminated from playoff contention, though there were some bright spots late in the season. There is a lot of work to do with this roster moving forward, as they have 33 pending free agents, and three first round picks in the 2019 NFL Draft.
When Pro Football Focus released their list of the top 101 players in the NFL, there was not a single Raiders player in sight. Oakland, which finished the 2018 NFL season at 4-12, did have some players put together solid seasons, but not good enough to crack the list.
For those counting at home, the AFC West was represented big time in the rankings, especially the Kansas City Chiefs, who saw seven players listed. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes was the No. 3 rated player on the final list, followed by Chris Jones (15), Travis Kelce (23), Tyreek Hill (25), Mitchell Schwartz (35), Dee Ford (37), and Justin Houston (80).
The Los Angeles Chargers’ highest rated player was safety Desmond King, who came in at No. 28. Denver’s top player was no surprise, as Von Miller was rated as the No. 22 ranked players according to his play in 2018. Former Raiders edge rusher Khalil Mack was No. 10.
Next. Raiders: 7-Round mock draft after Super Bowl LIII. dark
Next season, the Raiders roster is going to look a lot different, but you can expect some players to take the next step forward. Derek Carr is coming off a year that saw him set career highs in passing yards and completion percentage, while cornerback Gareon Conley looked like one of the better corners in all of football down the stretch.
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