3 Reasons the Las Vegas Raiders could miss the playoffs again
Secondary continues to be an issue
During the 2020 NFL season, the Raiders actually were pretty solid on the offensive side of the ball, so that certainly was not the issue. With a 4,000-yard passer, a 1,000-yard rusher, and a 1,000-yard receiver at tight end, Las Vegas was able to move the ball at will and had them in position to win more times than not.
Unfortunately, the defense was atrocious at times, getting no push up front, and really struggling to cover in the secondary. 2020 first-round pick Damon Arnette was non-existent, and while Trayvon Mullen was excellent once again, there was just not enough depth at either safety or cornerback.
Not only was depth an issue, but so was the lack of talent, and talented players, like Johnathan Abram, struggled as well. The group as a whole was leaky weekly, so to combat that, the Raiders added talent in the 2021 NFL Draft, and via free agency.
The only issue is, that with all these new faces, is the group going to be better, or struggle like they did the year before. Casey Hayward is a solid upgrade, and the safety spot should be better with Karl Joseph returning, and Trevon Moehrig coming in as a second-round pick, but if the Raiders struggle in the secondary, it is going to be a long year.