3 Las Vegas Raiders players who should change their number
By Brad Weiss
With the NFL expected to relax the rules on jersey numbers, there will be some changes this season and these 3 Las Vegas Raiders should be among them.
The 2021 NFL season is less than five months away, yes we are counting, and we are inching ever so closer to the 2021 NFL Draft. The Las Vegas Raiders hold eight selections in the draft this year, including the No. 17 overall pick, which will likely be used to address the offensive line or secondary.
In non-draft news, it was recently stated that the league could relax the rules on the jersey numbers players in specific position groups can wear. NBC Sports’ Peter King recently laid out what the new jersey number ranges would be:
"Quarterback, punter, kicker: 1–19 Running back: 1–49, 80–89 Defensive back: 1–49 Linebacker: 1–59, 90–99 Offensive lineman: 50–79 Defensive lineman: 50–79, 90–99"
Looking at the Raiders roster, there are a few players who would look awesome in a new jersey number, and we lay out three of them here.
3 Las Vegas Raiders players who should change their number
Yannick Ngakoue: No. 7
The Las Vegas Raiders move for edge rusher Yannick Ngakoue was their biggest splash so far this year, and some believe it was one of the best moves in the NFL this offseason. Ngakoue will come in and fill an immediate need for the Raiders, bolstering a pass rush that netted them only 21 sacks a season ago.
While a jersey number has not been assigned to Ngakoue just yet, he is a player who should definitely take advantage if the league relaxes the rules on jersey numbers. Of course, he would have to be listed as a linebacker to do so, but seeing him go back to the No. 7 he wore at the University of Maryland would be an awesome sight coming off the edge.
During his time with the Terps, Ngakoue developed a reputation of being a menace in the backfield, a trait he has brought with him to the next level. Currently, nobody wears the No. 7 with the Raiders, so this would be an easy transition from his usual No. 91.