Las Vegas Raiders: Player with most to prove at each defensive position in 2021

With a defense full of first-round picks, the Raiders have a ton of players that have a lot to prove, especially after a lot of disappointment last season.

The Las Vegas Raiders 2020 season was extremely frustrating, but most of the issues came within the defense, as players that the team put a lot of either draft stock or money into did not perform up to par. We saw first-round draft pick Damon Arnette struggle big time in Year 1, while former first-rounder Johnathan Abram had a rough go as well.

Key pieces who were valued draft assets are still finding their way at the NFL level, and with the influx of talent this offseason, the time is running thin on them establishing themselves as cornerstones with this franchise.

If the Raiders want to be a legit threat in the AFC, they cannot rely on Derek Carr and the offense to pull out a win late in the fourth quarter every time a game gets close, as that seems to be the only way the team can get wins nowadays. The offense has question marks of their own this season, but all eyes are on the defense this summer.

Let’s take a look at one player from each position group that has a lot to prove on the defensive side of the ball.