1. Raiders may have the best defensive line in football
Football games are won up front along the offensive and defensive lines, and while the offensive line has some question marks, the defensive line does not. The addition of Christian Wilkins in free agency, the best available defensive tackle, should only add to what should be an elite pass rush for the Raiders in 2024.
Towards the end of last season, Malcolm Koonce proved to be a legitimate pass rushing talent, taking some of the pressure off of Maxx Crosby coming off the edge. When it comes to Crosby, he is the best in the game at what he does, and that is make life a nightmare for opposing quarterbacks.
The AFC West is loaded with quarterback talent, as Patrick Mahomes from Kansas City, and Justin Herbert from the Los Angeles Chargers are still two of the best young arms in the game. However, they are only as good as the group in front of them, and we saw what the Raiders could do with a solid pass rush late in the 2023 campaign.
The Raiders have not won the AFC West in years, a division that has been dominated by the Kansas City Chiefs as of late. Still, there is reason to believe they could make a run at it this season, and these three areas are a big reason why that could be the case.