The Las Vegas Raiders have some dominating young players on their roster, but none of them were able to crack CBS Sports’ top-25 under 25 list.
Heading into the 2020 NFL season, the Las Vegas Raiders roster is in better shape than it has been in years. The team has layered depth at most positions, and after winning seven games last season, the expectation is that the team will fight for a playoff spot in a very deep AFC.
For the first time in a long time, the Raiders roster is being built up the right way, as general manager Mike Mayock has capitalized on some great draft capital over the past two drafts. He has brought in instant impact players on both sides of the ball, and some have already developed into stars in the league.
On Thursday, Sean Wagner-McGough of CBS Sports listed his top-25 players under 25 years of age, and the list included not one member of the current Raiders roster. The list, which was headlined by Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, ranked the young players based on what they have done in the league already, positional value, and what they are projected to do down the road as well.
So who should have been listed, or even considered
Looking at the current Raiders roster, there are a few guys who should have made the list, or at least even been considered. Josh Jacobs is coming off a rookie season that saw him rush for over 1,100 yards despite having a fractured shoulder for half the year, setting numerous Raiders rookie rushing records.
The damage to the shoulder limited what Jacobs could do in the passing game as well last season, an area where he figures to make more of an impact in 2020. To put Jacobs’ snub in prospective, Dalvin Cook and Nick Chubb made the list, and it can certainly be argued that Jacobs is a more complete running back than the two of them.
In addition, Maxx Crosby dominated as a rookie last season, and like Jacobs, is still only 22-years old. His statistics matched up favorably against San Francisco 49ers edge rusher Nick Bosa, who was picked at No. 2 overall last April, and took home the NFL’s Defensive Rookie of the Year honors.
Incredibly, not a single Raiders player even made the “just missed” group, which is shocking considering how good Jacobs is right now, and what he will be down the road. This is a young Raiders roster, and guys are starting to come into their own, so the likelihood that the organization will be shut out once again next year is slim.