Early Raiders 53-Man Roster Projection

With plenty of time left before the season starts, let’s take a look at how the Las Vegas Raiders roster might look in 2021.

It’s too obviously early to know who will make the team before camp even starts but there’s no problem guessing, right? The draft gave us a better idea of how the roster could be set up this season. This list might have some takes to make some rejoice and others wonder. Here is what we got so far.

First up, the Raiders’ offense…

QB: Derek Carr, Marcus Mariota, Nathan Peterman

Same as last year, Derek Carr isn’t top tier but has made improvements every year to be the Raiders’ starting quarterback. Even if his performance and/or health aren’t up to par, Marcus Mariota will be an excellent backup. Peterman will be the third-string as Gruden likes having three quarterbacks on the roster.

RB: Josh Jacobs, Kenyan Drake, Trey Ragas, Alec Ingold

While Josh Jacobs didn’t run as well per carry, he still doubled his touchdown total. Kenyan Drake will help lighten the workload for Jacobs and is a quality pass catcher. Alec Ingold has been a solid fullback going into his third year with the Raiders and has proven to be reliable a bit outside of short-yardage runs. Lastly, UDFA Trey Ragas has an impressive resume out of Louisiana where he averaged six YPC and scored a total of 43 scrimmage touchdowns. Jalen Richard will likely be traded or cut to give Ragas the roster spot and reduce the salary.

TE: Darren Waller, Foster Moreau, Derek Carrier

This can be one of the best tight end groups in the NFL. Darren Waller’s coming off back-to-back 1,000 yard seasons and will look to be Carr’s number one receiver again in 2021. Foster Moreau had his playing time reduced with Jason Witten on the team last year but will hopefully be a red zone threat again like in 2019. Derek Carrier won’t see many snaps but will fill in for special teams.

WR: Henry Ruggs III, John Brown, Hunter Renfrow, Bryan Edwards, Willie Snead IV, Zay Jones

John Brown will be taking Nelson Agholor’s previous role as the veteran amongst this group. Henry Ruggs and Bryan Edwards will look to have healthier seasons and get more involved in the offense. Hunter Renfrow will also look to have an important role in the slot, especially on third down. Willie Snead has what it takes to be a decent backup after having a quiet stint in Baltimore. Zay Jones will probably get time in special teams and a few opportunities to make some plays. Don’t be surprised though if someone younger takes his spot.

OL: Kolton Miller, Richie Incognito, Andre James, Denzelle Good, Alex Leatherwood, Brandon Parker, John Simpson, Nick Martin, Erik Magnuson

Much different from last year, Kolton Miller should be the leader of this group. Everyone else is either younger or didn’t have as much playing time as the previous group. Something to take note of is that while their passing grades per Pro Football Focus weren’t as high as last year’s line, they were higher in run-blocking. A clear sign of how committed Jon Gruden will be to the run game this year.