Raiders land 3 players on Pro Football Network's top 100 rankings

Pro Football Network just dropped their top 100 players of the 2024 season. The highest-ranked Las Vegas Raiders player was defensive end Maxx Crosby, who came in at No. 9. This will come as no shock to Raider fans, as the Nation has known for a while how Crosby stacks up against the rest of the players in the league. Finally, he is getting the credit he deserves, and people are starting to really take notice of the game-wrecker that he is.

"Availability is the best ability, but talent is helpful, too," Dallas Robinson wrote. "Luckily for the Las Vegas Raiders, Maxx Crosby offers both in spades. He was the only defensive lineman to play over 1,000 snaps in 2023, leading DL in playtime for the second consecutive season.

"Crosby is dynamite against the run and finished fourth among edge rushers with 86 pressures."

In a league that is dominated by elite quarterback play, it is no shock to see teams put such a premium on players who get after those quarterbacks. Edge rushers have become so incredibly valuable, and the talent at the position currently is the best in league history.

Crosby is appropriately ranked among the top 10 players in the league, yet he is still considered the fourth-best player at his position. He ranks behind the reigning Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett, the league leader in pressures Micah Parsons, and the league leader in sacks T.J. Watt. 

While I believe Crosby brings more in the running game than any of the aforementioned players, it is hard to argue that such an elite ranking makes him “underrated” in any way. With the addition of Christian Wilkins and a full season of Malcolm Koonce by his side, he could easily lead the league in sacks this year while maintaining his prowess against the run.

With a season like that, he could easily leap into the top five players in the NFL and be considered both the best at his position and on the entire defensive side of the ball.

Davante Adams lands at No. 25

Even after a down year in 2023, Adams is still considered to be among the very best players in the league.

“Davante Adams is still the best route runner in the game, and his release package is unparalleled," Robinson wrote. "He earned three consecutive first-team All-Pro nods to begin the decade, but his production took a hit in 2023 (mainly due to the Raiders’ QB play).

"He’s posted at least 100 catches and 1,000 yards in five of the last six years, including four straight. While Vegas’ quarterback situation didn’t improve this offseason, Adams should continue to receive plenty of opportunities. In 2023, he  first league-wide in air yards share (44.2%) and second in target share (33.1%).”

Many have hypothesized that we are beginning to see the decline of Davante Adams, but the reality of the situation is just as PFN mentioned: he had the worst QB play of his entire career last year. With Jimmy Garoppolo gone and a battle between Aidan O’Connell and Gardner Minshew this preseason, the quarterback situation is bound to be better and more stable. At the very least, Adams will record a ton of reps with both options throughout the preseason so he will be ready for whoever is throwing him the ball.

Adams may not be at the level of guys like Justin Jefferson or Tyreek Hill anymore, and he likely will not return to the peak of that mountain, but he can still be a top-five player at his position. PFN has him at No. 7 among wide receivers, but he could easily jump somebody like Amon-Ra St. Brown or A.J. Brown this season.

Christian Wilkins holds 70th spot

The Raiders' biggest free agent signing this offseason continues to be highlighted as one of the league's best players. Typically, the league looks less favorably upon a player when they begin to wear the Silver and Black, but this has not been the case for Wilkins. He must be that good.

“Christian Wilkins had always been a productive player heading into 2023, but he stepped up his game in his fifth NFL campaign," Robinson wrote.

"The former first-round pick posted 11.5 sacks and 27 QB hits from 2019 to 2022 — Wilkins put up nine sacks and 23 quarterback hits in 2023 alone. The Raiders liked what they saw and made Wilkins the NFL’s second highest-paid DT this offseason.”

Regardless of what spot Christian Wilkins holds in anybody’s offseason rankings, if he can match his production from last season, he will be one of the most valuable players in the NFL. I know his contract is huge, but he is a difference-maker on the Raiders’ defense because he finally provides Crosby with an elite pass-rush companion.

Koonce came into his own last season, but Wilkins is an established veteran who teams have to actively gameplan for. If I was an offensive coordinator or offensive line coach, I would lose sleep thinking about how I could block all three of them. 

Wilkins’ season last year is indicative too that he is not done growing as a player. It feels like he has been in the league forever, but he is entering just his sixth season. He was in the same draft class as Nick Bosa, Quinnen Williams, and Josh Allen (LB), as well as many more elite defensive players.

While it feels like some of these guys may be peaking, Wilkins is still on the upswing. Other than Adams, Wilkins is the offseason addition that has excited me the most in the last several years, and I truly think his addition makes our defensive line among the best in the league.