The Las Vegas Raiders finished the 2023 NFL season on mostly a high note, as they defeated all three other AFC West teams down the stretch. The strong run to end the season earned Antonio Pierce the full-time head coaching job, and for quarterback Aidan O'Connell, he did enough that the team decided to roll with him and Gardner Minshew at the position in 2024.
While Las Vegas made some strong moves with the roster this offseason, they did lose Josh Jacobs to the Green Bay Packers, and failed to add another starting-caliber cornerback opposite Jack Jones on the outside. Still, the roster is in good shape, but most of the national media is down big time on the Silver and Black.
Over at NFL Spin Zone, Lou Scataglia posted one bold prediction for each NFL team for the 2024 NFL season, and for the Raiders, it was nightmare fuel.
Raiders predicted to land a top-3 NFL Draft pick
Scataglia did not mince words when discussing the 2024 Raiders, stating that they are going to be 'awful.' He spoke about using a first and second-round pick on tight ends the last two years, while also stating that the team overpaid for both Christian Wilkins and Gardner Minshew.
In addition, Scataglia said the hiring of Pierce was a mistake, and the team has no potential franchise quarterback on the roster.
Depending on who you ask, he may be right, but if the Raiders end up with a top-3 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, heads could roll in the organization. There is still star power on this team, including Wilkins, Maxx Crosby, Davante Adams, and Kolton Miller, while guys like Jack Jones, Jakobi Meyers, and even Dylan Parham look to be budding stars in their own right.
Playing for a passionate coach like Pierce, it would be hard to see the Raiders finishing as one of the worst teams in the NFL next season. However, if Scataglia's prediction does come through, you can expect to see this roster looking a lot different by the time we get to this point next year.