The Las Vegas Raiders were among the worst teams in all of football last season as they finished 4-13, tied for the fourth-worst record in the NFL. They ranked 29th in scoring offense, 25th in scoring defense, 27th in total yards and 15th in yards allowed.
Las Vegas looked to overhaul things in the offseason as they hired Pete Carroll and John Spytek as the next head coach and general manager, respectively. The duo has made plenty of changes to the roster on both sides of the football since taking over.
The offensive side had the bigger moves as the Raiders traded for quarterback Geno Smith and used the sixth overall pick to select running back Ashton Jeanty. The defense will have far more turnover, however, as all of the Week 1 starters at linebacker and in the secondary are no longer with the team.
Despite attempting to improve the roster and voicing that they will be looking to compete in 2025, the latest power ranking believes they will once again be among the worst teams in the NFL.
Raiders ranked near the bottom of the league in ESPN power rankings
The Raiders figure to be a much-improved team in 2025 after finishing last season as one of the worst teams in football. They have upgraded their passing and running game tremendously while returning two 1,000-yard pass catchers in Brock Bowers and Jakobi Meyers.
The defense remains a question mark following an offseason overhaul. A full season of Maxx Crosby and an improved linebacker unit, however, should yield positive results. Meanwhile, Carroll and offensive coordinator Chip Kelly are clear upgrades over Antonio Pierce and Luke Getsy.
Despite the changes, however, ESPN's NFL Nation reportersranked the Raiders as the 25th-best team in the league. While the Raiders did improve one spot from their post draft ranking, they have seemingly improved both their roster and coaching staff more than this ranking indicates.
RELATED: Former Raiders draft pick looked better than ever during Bears preseason game
In addition to the previously mentioned improvements, Smith is a clear upgrade over the combination of Gardner Minshew, Aidan O'Connell and Desmond Ridder. Las Vegas' new quarterback ranks fourth in passing yards and completion percentage and eighth in passing touchdowns since 2022.
Meanwhile, Jeanty should bring some much-needed stability to the Raiders' running back room. Following Josh Jacobs' departure last offseason, Las Vegas ranked last in the league in rushing yards and 28th in rushing touchdowns.
The Heisman Trophy runner-up enters his rookie season as the Offensive Rookie of the Year favorite. If he is able to live up to his potential, the Raiders' new-look offense could have one of the biggest turnarounds of any group in the league, meaning they should quickly ascend from this low ranking.