The Raiders made the playoffs last season for the first time in several years, nearly upsetting the Bengals in Cincinnati. But if they want to be back in the playoffs again in 2022, they are going to need to be even better.
So now that free agency and the draft are over, where do the Raiders rank among the rest of the contenders in the AFC?
In a recent article by Sam Monson of Pro Football Focus, he ranked all 32 teams by tier heading into the 2022 season. The Raiders came in at No. 16, falling under the “Eyes On The Playoffs” tier of teams. Here is what Monson has to think about the Raiders going into the year:
“The rest of the AFC West became loaded with contenders this offseason, so after hiring a new general manager and head coach, the Raiders took a beat and decided to join the party, trading for Davante Adams and adding Chandler Jones.
Adams teams up with Derek Carr, his old college quarterback, to give this offense the No. 1 target it needs, and Jones should add formidable pass-rush opposite Maxx Crosby. The offensive line remains a major area of concern for the Raiders, as is the brutal division they play in.”
The Raiders appear to be a much better team on paper than they were a year ago. But as Monson mentioned, the AFC West is loaded along with the rest of the conference. There is a good chance that the Raiders could be a significantly improved team in 2022, but that’s not necessarily reflected in their record.
Still, it’s playoff or bust for the Raiders this season. And with all the money and draft capital they’ve spent acquiring talent, anything but a deep playoff run would be deemed a failure by the organization.
However it plays out, the 2022 season should be a lot of fun for the Raiders and their fans.