Chargers: Power ranking the AFC West after the Tyreek Hill trade
By Jason Reed
4. Las Vegas Raiders
The Las Vegas Raiders are a talented team and if they were in any other division in the AFC then they would be candidates to make the playoffs as at least the second-best team in that division. However, in the AFC West, they check in as the fourth-best team because of all of the talent that is in the division.
The Raiders have the foundation to have a really fun offense to watch with new head coach Josh McDaniels. You could make the case that they have the best receiving corps in the division after the Hill trade as Derek Carr is going to be able to throw to the likes of Davante Adams, Hunter Renfrow and Darren Waller as his top three targets.
However, the holes on the roster are hard to ignore for the Raiders. First of all, while Carr is a fine quarterback, he is not an elite quarterback like the other three guys in the division. That will hold the team back.
Second, the Raiders have a poor offensive line and the secondary is looking atrocious heading into the 2022 season. If the offensive line does not hold up it does not matter what weapons Carr has and the Raiders are going to have to score a lot of points with a bad secondary.
Yes, they have a great pass-rushing duo of Maxx Crosby and Chandler Jones but Jones is regressing and is awful against the run. If I am the Chargers, I am running right at Jones on early downs almost every time, setting up Justin Herbert for very easily second and third downs.