Raiders case study: The 2007 New York Giants

Pass catchers

Obviously, every team has a primary target at wide receiver and a slightly less talented No. 2. Sometimes tight ends factor heavily into the passing game, but oftentimes they do not. Regardless of this, the main pass catchers from the Giants' 2007 roster mirror the projected main targets for Las Vegas in 2024.

Plaxico Burress was the top pass catcher for Eli Manning in 2007, collecting 70 balls for 1,025 yards and 12 touchdowns. Burress was never selected to the Pro Bowl or the All-Pro Teams in his career, but the Raiders have someone who has been. Davante Adams had a “down year” in 2023, only collecting 103 catches for 1,144 yards and eight touchdowns.

I say that sarcastically to say that Adams is head and shoulders above Burress in every facet of the game. Sure, Burress had 12 touchdowns in 2007, but history would indicate that Adams will collect close to that in 2024 as this past season was his first with single-digit touchdowns since 2015, excluding an injury-riddled season in 2019.

As far as the second receiver, I believe that the Raiders once again have a more talented player. For the Giants, it was Amani Toomer who caught 59 balls for 760 yards and only three touchdowns. For the Raiders last season, Jakobi Meyers caught 71 passes for 807 yards and eight touchdowns. All told, the top two receiving options for the Raiders outproduced those of the Giants by 45 catches, 182 yards, and a touchdown, despite inconsistent quarterback play. 

When it comes to the tight end position, the Raiders are banking on two young players stepping up. For the Giants, they had four-time Pro Bowler and former All-Pro Jeremy Shockey. Once again, there is no argument that either Michael Mayer or Brock Bowers is as great as Shockey was, but we are looking at one season in a vacuum. In 2007, Shockey had 57 catches for 619 yards and three touchdowns. In his rookie season in 2023, Mayer caught 27 balls for 304 yards and two touchdowns.

Let’s not forget that the team added Bowers in the draft who is highly touted and expected to contribute immediately. Given the 12 personnel sets that new OC Luke Getsy is known for running, common sense would say that if these two tight ends can combine for Shockey’s numbers, that would provide essentially the same impact. This means that Bowers would have to catch roughly 30 balls for 300 yards and a touchdown, which is almost exactly what Mayer contributed last year. This is easily attainable for the highest-rated tight end prospect in some time.  

Offensive line

I am not an offensive line expert, so I just have a few quick comments and observations. Neither the Giants nor the Raiders offensive line groups were considered elite or among the best in the league, but they both are solid groups. The Giants had no Pro Bowl or All-Pro players in the room, and really only a single notable name years later, which is Chris Snee.

The Raiders are in a similar situation where their line is devoid of a Pro Bowl or All-Pro player, but they have one name that sticks out around the league, which is Kolton Miller. The main focus for this group should be keeping O’Connell or Gardner Minshew upright.