3 Raiders players fans are most thankful for this year

With Thanksgiving on Thursday, it is important to take stock of the 2024 season and look back at what, as Las Vegas Raiders fans, we are most thankful for.

It may seem like there is not much to be grateful for this year, as the team is 2-9 and currently sitting in a distant fourth place in the AFC West.

However, brighter days are surely ahead and this team still has a handful of dominant players on the roster that are deserving of thanks.

Brock Bowers

The rookie tight end has been nothing short of sensational in his first professional season.

Not only does Bowers have an argument for the best receiving tight end in the league, but he may also be one of the most lethal weapons at any position in the NFL.

Bowers is currently second in the entire league in receptions, fifth in targets, ninth in yards, sixth in first downs gained, and seventh in yards after the catch.

The icing on the cake is that in each of these metrics, he is first among all tight ends, league-wide.

It is criminal that he has not won the Pepsi Zero Sugar Rookie of the Week at any point this season, but still, he has the third-best odds to win the NFL's Rookie of the Year Award.

Bowers should be a First-Team All-Pro this season, and for many seasons to come.

Maxx Crosby

Crosby has hit a bit of a skid during the second half of the season, but he is still the backbone of this Raiders defense.

But don't let the lack of sacks fool you, he is still wreaking havoc on opposing offenses week in and week out.

He currently ranks second in the NFL in tackles for loss with 14, and still has 6.5 sacks on the year. This is in addition to 39 tackles and four passes defended.

Not only is he still being productive, but the attention that he draws from opposing offensive lines has allowed players like Tyree Wilson to exploit one-on-one matchups.

Wilson has come on strong in the latter part of the season, just like Malcolm Koonce did a year ago.

If these younger players develop and become deserving of more attention, it would leave Crosby to take on easier matchups down the road. Then, he can begin to challenge for the league lead in sacks once again.

Statistically, Crosby has fallen off a bit in recent weeks, but fans should be thankful for his prowess in all aspects of the game and the grit and motor he plays with.

Who knows where this defense would be without him.

Jakorian Bennett

The hope was that Bennett would take a step this offseason and become a solid No. 3 corner for the Las Vegas Raiders.

But Bennett took a leap.

Now, the second-year defensive back has become the team's best corner and is near the top of the league in passes defended, with 8, despite missing a few games due to injury.

Just recently, he limited Ja'Marr Chase to 43 yards and 0 touchdowns. This was Chase's second-lowest yardage output of the season and the only game in the last six weeks in which he had not scored.

Even if Bennett worked his way into the rotation and showed improvement, fans would be thankful for him. But he has stepped up in a way that nobody could have imagined.

At this point, Bennett looks to be the leader of the future for a three-headed monster at corner with Nate Hobbs and Jack Jones.

He has yet to record his first interception in the NFL, but when he does, fans will be even more thankful than they already are.

Honorable Mentions

Jakobi Meyers, Robert Spillane, and Jackson Powers-Johnson.