Las Vegas Raiders at Carolina Panthers: 3 things to watch in Week 1

Las Vegas Raiders at Carolina Panthers: 3 things to watch in Week 1

New-look linebackers

In what feels like a resolution a long time coming, the Raiders added a pair of significant upgrades at the linebacker position during the offseason. Nicholas Morrow will return for the Silver and Black, but he’ll be accompanied by new faces Cory Littleton and Nick Kwiatkoski against Carolina on Sunday. Both additions should give a much-needed lift to a defensive unit that has plagued the Raiders for quite some time.

While Las Vegas’ 24th ranked defense last season didn’t inspire much confidence, there were some bright spots to be seen with pieces of the young secondary down the stretch. Meanwhile, the linebacker unit seemed to struggle on a weekly basis, specifically in pass coverage. Enter Cory Littleton, who during his four-year tenure with the Rams, earned a coverage grade of 87.3 from ProFootballFocus (second among all linebackers).

Kwiatkoski also shined in his rotational role with the Bears and registered a promising 70-plus grade from PFF as a run defender, pass-rusher, and in coverage since 2017. Week 1 against Christian McCaffrey will present a formidable challenge, but it’s also a great opportunity to show exactly why Las Vegas invested heavily in these two new additions.