Ranking eight positions the Raiders may bolster during NFL free agency

By Case Keefer (contact)

Monday, March 13, 2023 | 2 a.m.

Fans grew restless as the Raiders got off to a slow start in free agency a year ago. It wasn’t until the third day that teams were permitted to negotiate with available players that Las Vegas made its first noteworthy move, signing edge rusher Chandler Jones to a three-year, $51 million deal.

Don’t expect to wait that long this season. Las Vegas has far more holes on its roster to address ahead of the 2023-2024 NFL season, which officially begins at 1 p.m. on Wednesday. That’s when the first set of this year’s NFL free agent deals will become official, though they can be discussed and agreed upon starting at 9 a.m. this morning as part of the legal tampering period.

The Raiders are likely to be active with approximately $47.25 million in salary cap space according to spotrac.com — the third-most in the NFL. General manager Dave Zielger and head coach Josh McDaniels got their first full offseason with the team after being hired in late January last year, and now it’s time to make the most of it.

Here are the eight positions they most need to address in free agency ranked in order of importance. Potential targets are listed at every position with emphasis on the top names available and players reportedly linked to the Raiders, along with free agents from last year’s team who may still be in the mix. Las Vegas couldn’t possibly afford to get one of the top-listed players in every category, but they’re likely to end up with one or two of them in total going into next season.

1. Quarterback

There’s no question quarterback stands as the Raiders’ top overall need this offseason but some debate could be reasonable as to whether it’s their top free agency need.

General manager Dave Ziegler and coach Josh McDaniels weren’t shy about their desire to draft a quarterback earlier this month, and the Raiders’ current No. 7 overall draft slot appears to be the perfect place to do it. Or, at least, it appeared to be before last week.

The Carolina Panthers’ trade with the Chicago Bears to move to the No. 1 overall selection complicates the situation for the Raiders. Four quarterbacks are considered talented enough to go at the top of the draft — Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud, Alabama’s Bryce Young, Florida’s Anthony Richardson and Kentucky’s Will Levis.

With three quarterback-starved teams now picking ahead of the Raiders (Panthers at No. 1, Texans at No. 2 and Colts at No. 4), the best they can currently hope for is whomever of the group remains. That could lead to Las Vegas finding next season’s starter in free agency, which was the initial expectation around the league after last year.

Even if they still take a quarterback in the first round, the Raiders will want a veteran alongside him. Chase Garbers, who spent most of last season on the practice squad, is the only quarterback currently on the roster.

Potential targets: Jimmy Garoppolo (49ers), Jacoby Brissett (Browns), Jarrett Stidham (Raiders)

2. Cornerback

The Raiders’ biggest weakness a year ago was their pass defense, and though several reasons contributed to the struggles, a lack of success at cornerback stood out at the top of the list.

Las Vegas had neither top-level talent nor depth at the position. Through three years in Las Vegas, only once have the Raiders have seen a player perform like a true No. 1 cornerback (Casey Hayward in the 2021-2022 season).

They had a couple decent pieces last season in current free agent Rock Ya-Sin and third-year player Nate Hobbs, but the duo both dealt with injuries and needed more around them — if not an alpha, lockdown corner type.

Potential targets: James Bradberry (Eagles), Jamel Dean (Buccaneers), Jonathan Jones (Patriots), Rock Ya-Sin (Raiders), Byron Murphy (Cardinals)

3. Safety

The Raiders also suffered from mediocre-at-best play in the defensive backfield’s other position group a year ago.

Tre’Von Moehrig dealt with a sophomore slump while Jonathan Abram was cut midseason. Team captain Duron Harmon had a resurgent season but he’s 32 years old and entering free agency.

Las Vegas badly needs to bring in at least one reliable, playmaking force on its back end. It might even want to bring in another veteran to help push Moehrig, who looked like he may have Pro Bowl potential in his rookie two years ago.

Potential targets: Jessie Bates (Bengals), Jordan Poyer (Bills), Vonn Bell (Bengals), Jimmie Ward (49ers), Duron Harmon (Raiders)

4. Defensive tackle

The Raiders built a rotation of interior defensive linemen that were mostly reliable at stuffing running lanes a year ago. Generating pressure on the quarterback from the inside was another story.

Las Vegas finished 30^th in the NFL in sack rate and spent most of the season two spots worse in dead-last. The mini-climb started when they claimed Jerry Tillery off waivers from the Los Angeles Chargers to get someone capable of penetrating the backfield and taking a little attention off of Pro Bowler Maxx Crosby on the outside.

They need to find someone that can do so on a more consistent basis. The days of a defensive tackle group solely needing to stop the run are over in the NFL.

Potential targets: Javon Hargrave (Eagles), Dre’Mont Jones (Broncos), David Onyemata (Saints), Andrew Billings (Raiders), Jerry Tillery (Raiders)

5. Linebacker

Divine Deablo, Luke Masterson and Darien Butler are the only current linebackers under contract, so strictly from a number’s perspective, this position could be higher on the wish list.

But linebacker is widely considered the most replaceable defensive position in the modern NFL with diminished salaries and not as large of a gap between the perceived top-tier talent and average starters. Just look at the Raiders’ best linebacker from the past two seasons and how they landed him for proof.

They acquired Denzel Perryman for a sixth-round pick two years ago, and the veteran made the Pro Bowl in 2021-2022 and became a team captain in 2022-2023. Injuries derailed Perryman last year, but he probably didn’t get enough credit for how well he played when he was on the field.

Bringing him back should be in consideration as the Raiders need at least one trustworthy veteran in the middle of their defense. But they’re unlikely to break from the current NFL trend and pay top dollar at the position.

Potential targets: Lavonte David (Buccaneers), Tremaine Edmunds (Bills), David Long (Titans), T.J. Edwards (Eagles), Germaine Pratt (Eagles), Denzel Perryman (Raiders)

6. Offensive line

Most would rank this position group much higher — as high as the second or third priority — but that ignores the fact that the Raiders were quite good up front last year. And, perhaps more importantly, quite young.

Right guard Alex Bars was the only starter who rated out decisively below average compared to his peers around the league. Right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor developed an unfortunate habit for untimely penalties, but played well on the whole and was among the most underrated players on the team.

Still, the Raiders seem likely to aim for an upgrade at both spots on the right side of their line. Last year’s offensive-line performance was a pleasant surprise given that many thought the Raiders’ talent level at the position ranked near the bottom of the league.

They’re likely to want to start with another surer blocker or two this season.

Potential targets: Mike McGlinchey (49ers), Ben Powers (Ravens), Nate Davis (Titans), Isaiah Wynn (Patriots), Will Hernandez (Cardinals), Jermaine Eluemunor (Raiders)

7. Edge rusher

The lack of a pass rush isn’t all on the defensive tackles. Crosby needs some assistance at his own position too.

Most of that needs to come from a bounce-back season by Chandler Jones, but two competent edge rushers is not enough. Las Vegas needs depth but will need to find it without making a major financial commitment considering Crosby and Jones will be paid nearly $40 million combined next season.

The Raiders might wait until the draft to address it, but there could also be merit to buying low on an underperforming younger player, aging veteran or a free agent coming off a major injury.

Potential targets: Kyle Van Noy (Chargers) Dawuane Smoot (Jaguars), DeMarcus Walker (Titans)

8. Wide receiver/tight end

Here’s another area where building depth will be the presumed focus. Wide receiver Davante Adams and tight end Darren Waller are locked into the top spots but there’s not much behind them.

Some of McDaniels’ best offenses over the years have featured a pair of competent tight ends, but injuries prevented from Waller and Foster Moreau from sharing the field much last season. Moreau is now a free agent and may command a significant pay raise because of his value as a blocker.

Slot receiver Hunter Renfrow will be back from his own injury-plagued season, but the Raiders currently don’t have a No. 2 receiver between him and Adams. Mack Hollins won the job last year and was a beloved locker room presence, but his efficiency on offense shot up and down.

It’s kind of cheating to conjoin these two positions together, but the Raiders certainly look in the market to add a pass-catcher of some kind.

Potential targets: Jakobi Meyers (Patriots), JuJu Smith-Schuster (Chiefs), D.J. Chark (Lions), Mack Hollins (Raiders), Irv Smith (Vikings), Foster Moreau (Raiders)

Case Keefer can be reached at 702-948-2790 or [email protected]. Follow Case on Twitter at twitter.com/casekeefer.Case Keefer can be reached at 702-948-2790 or