The Las Vegas Raiders' offense struggled in every facet last season. While the unit finished near the middle of the pack in total passing yards, it tied for the third-fewest passing touchdowns. Las Vegas also finished with the fourth-fewest rushing touchdowns in the league.
The Raiders' offense finished tied with the second-most turnovers of any team in the National Football League last season. Las Vegas' offense was inconsistent, starting three quarterbacks and four running backs.
After trading for quarterback Geno Smith, the Raiders have addressed their most pressing need heading into the offseason. While they could still draft a quarterback with the No. 6 pick, they are not obligated to, as they have many other needs to address.
Las Vegas averaged the fewest yards per game of any team in the league last season. With running back Ashton Jeanty potentially being available when the Raiders are on the clock, Frank Schwab of Yahoo Sports analyzed Jeanty's qualities that could benefit the Raiders.
"It wasn't just the production for Jeanty. He is explosive with great balance and has a special ability to break tackles. There's a good reason he's in the Barkley class of prospects," Schwab said.
"Presumably, when the Raiders go on the clock in the draft, Jeanty will be the best player available. And it's hard to fault them for taking Jeanty based on that. But it's also hard to see the Raiders as being a running back away from contention," Schwab said.
"The common thread between [Saquon] Barkley, [Derrick] Henry, [Josh] Jacobs, and [Joe] Mixon is they all went to 2023 playoff teams and made them better. They didn't go to a 4-13 team and elevate it to the postseason. That's a lot to ask for any running back."
The Raiders are more than a running back away from being a significantly improved team. However, pairing Jeanty with Brock Bowers, then filling the offensive line throughout the draft, could quickly make the Raiders a more competitive team, especially with the addition of Smith.
"But the Raiders have to start somewhere. They nailed the pick of tight end Brock Bowers last season. They upgraded at quarterback with Smith, though he's in the middle class of NFL quarterbacks and is unlikely to ascend to the next tier," Schwab said.
"The Raiders still have plenty of holes to fill. A running back probably won't get them to the playoffs this season. But Jeanty isn't your normal running back prospect."
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