For the Las Vegas Raiders to take make the leap and become a legitimate playoff contender in 2020, these five players have to step up.
Heading into a new season in a new city, expectations are high for the Las Vegas Raiders. The team just missed the postseason a year ago and added several quality players this offseason, giving fans hope that location won’t be the only thing changing with the organization.
During the Oakland 2.0 era, the Silver and Black only made four playoff appearances in 25 years and went from being crowned as “Team of the Decades,” to recording bottom-five winning percentages in the 2000s and 2010s. A large reason for the organization’s lack of success was nearly every top draft pick turned into a bust, and the majority of free agents that were brought in seemingly were just looking to cash checks before riding off into the sunset.
Now, with a 2019 draft class that featured a handful of impact players and an expanded postseason, there is reason to believe that a new, more successful era of Raiders football is upcoming.
However, for the offseason hype to come to light, the following five players must step up in 2020.