Las Vegas Raiders 2023 Thanksgiving: What Raider Nation should be thankful for

Raiders stars Maxx Crosby, Davante Adams, and Josh Jacobs

For years, the Raiders franchise has fallen on hard times, making it to the playoffs only twice since the 2002 NFL season. We have seen so many bad players come and go, but for the first time in a long-time, the Raiders roster boasts long-term star power, and it comes on both sides of the ball.

Maxx Crosby and Josh Jacobs both came to the Raiders via the 2019 NFL Draft, and have quickly become some of the better players at their position in the NFL. Crosby is as elite as it comes when it comes to a defensive player, and could be in line to win his first NFL Defensive Player of the Year honor this season.

While Crosby was picked on Day 3 that year, Jacobs was one of three Raiders first-round picks, and the only one who accomplished anything for the franchise. Jacobs took the NFL by storm in 2022, leading the league in rushing yards, and after a slow start under McDaniels this year, he has turned it on since Pierce took over.

Davante Adams may not have as many years as Crosby or Jacobs in the Silver and Black, but he is right up there as a fan favorite, and is still one of the best offensive players in the NFL. That is the kind of talent you need to win at this level, and all three are starting to see other players blossom around them.