There are a lot of question marks surrounding the Las Vegas Raiders as they enter their first full season with Antonio Pierce as their head coach. He brings a passion to the coaching staff that the team has not had in quite some time, and has the experience as a former player to get the best out of this roster.
However, this is a franchise that has struggled with consistency for years, as they have only made the playoffs twice since the 2002 NFL season, and have not won a playoff game since then. Pierce is going to have to rekindle the magic of last season after he took over in an interim role, but looking at the roster, finding a legitimate starting lineup on both sides of the ball is paramount this summer.
Over at The Athletic, they put together one question for each NFL team, and for the Raiders, one position group stood out among them all.
Raiders cornerback group the biggest question mark per The Athletic
Vic Tafur does a wonderful job for The Athletic, and he feels that cornerback is the biggest question mark for the Raiders in 2024. He spoke about the play of Jack Jones last season, and how solid Nate Hobbs is in the slot, but where else is the talent coming from at the position group this year?
Jakorian Bennett will have all eyes on him this August, as he looks to shake off a rough rookie season. Outside of Bennett, some veterans and rookies will fight for some playing time at this most important defensive position, one that needs to be solid, especially in an AFC West where the team takes on Justin Herbert and Patrick Mahomes twice a season.
You could argue that quarterback is a big question mark, and the offensive line still has some issues going into training camp. However, the Raiders' success in 2024 will be based on how well the defense plays, especially with a tough schedule loaded with quality quarterbacks on the docket.
Bennett is the Wild Card, and will have to step into a leadership role going into his second season in the league. If the Raiders falter against the pass this season, allowing big plays on the outside, it could be another year outside of the playoffs for the Silver and Black.