The Las Vegas Raiders will open their 2020 slate against the Carolina Panthers, and here are the predictions for the starters at the offensive skill positions.
The Las Vegas Raiders will head into their 2020 season opener against the Carolina Panthers with high expectations, as the team plans to make a playoff run in their first season in the desert. General manager Mike Mayock has done a tremendous job revamping the roster this offseason, adding quality talent to those positions of need, and there is reason to believe the Raiders could actually do some damage in the AFC this season.
With that said, here are our predictions for the Raiders Week 1 starters at the skill positions on offense.
Quarterback: Derek Carr
No big surprise here, as Derek Carr returns as the franchise’s starting quarterback for the seventh straight season. Carr has been the team’s starter since Week 1 of his rookie season, and is fresh off two straight 4,000-yard seasons in Jon Gruden’s offense.
The big thing with Carr is the win-loss record, as well as the coaching staff wanting him to make more plays with his legs. He has a tremendous cast around him this season, with talent all along that side of the ball, and the feeling is that he is going to finally get this team back to the playoffs for the first time since 2016.
Raiders: Predicting Week 1 starters at offensive skill positions
Starting Backfield: Josh Jacobs and Alec Ingold
The Raiders struck gold when they selected Josh Jacobs in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft, as the rookie from Alabama took the NFL by storm in Year No. 1. Jacobs set a Raiders rookie rushing record by going over 1,100 yards, scored seven touchdowns, and did all of this damage in only 13 games.
An injured shoulder hampered Jacobs towards the end of the season, but not before he turned himself into the front-runner for the NFL’s Offensive Rookie of the Year honor. That award went to Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray, but those who watched Jacobs on a weekly basis definitely felt he was snubbed.
For the second year in a row, the man lead blocking for Jacobs will be Alec Ingold, a man who came on as an undrafted free agent last offseason and earned the starting fullback job. Ingold is the perfect compliment to Jacobs, and the two have a very close bond, which only helps make them even more productive on Sundays.
There is solid depth behind Jacobs in 2020, including Jalen Richard and 2020 draft pick Lynn Bowden Jr., but this is Jacobs show this season. He wants to be more involved in the passing game, and become more of a complete back, and the odds are he will do just that.
Raiders: Predicting Week 1 starters at offensive skill positions
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Wide Receivers: Henry Ruggs III (Z), Bryan Edwards (X), Hunter Renfrow (Slot)
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Tight Ends: Darren Waller and Jason Witten
Henry Ruggs III will be the team’s Z this season, as he goes into his rookie year as the team’s WR1, and will be looking to challenge Amari Cooper’s rookie records. Hunter Renfrow proved to be automatic in the slot last season, and has looked outstanding this summer during camp, so he will be back in that role as a starter in 2020.
Another 2020 rookie, Bryan Edwards actually was with the starters on Wednesday, and as we get closer to Week 1, I believe the coaching staff is going to go with two rookies starting at wide receiver. That would be against anything we have seen from Gruden in his coaching career, but the tandem of Edwards and Ruggs may be too good for him not to.
Williams is still going to play a big role in this offense, and will be a guy who is put in position to make big plays in 2020. The fact that he could be relegated to being a backup after being the team’s WR1 last year is a reflection on how good a job Mayock did turning this position from a weakness to a strength this offseason.
At tight end, Darren Waller will obviously be the starter, and we should see a lot of Jason Witten, especially in the red zone. Foster Moreau is also going to have his fair share of opportunities after proving to be a solid red zone guy as a rookie, giving the Raiders one of the deeper tight end groups in football.
One thing is for sure, the Raiders have more depth at the skill positions than they have had in years, and Carr will have no shortage of weapons in the passing game, or on the ground. With his entire starting offensive line returning as well, this offense should be able to hang points on any defense they face, and it will be up to Carr to steer this ship in the right direction.