Nov 29, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers (89) celebrates with wide receiver Tre Tucker (11) after scoring against the Kansas City Chiefs during the second half at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images Denny Medley-Imagn Images

Where Raiders Rank in April Power Rankings

Originally posted on Las Vegas Raiders on SI
By Dominic Minchella | Last updated Apr 8, 2025 8:00 AM ET

The Las Vegas Raiders were in dire need of change following another disappointing season. While there were bright sparks on both offense and defense, the front office has made massive improvements already following the additions of head coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Spytek.

Adding a new face to lead the charge in quarterback Geno Smith should likely push the Raiders in the right direction to compete once again in the AFC West division. The division is still stacked, and their backs will be against the wall, but they could easily turn some heads in 2025 with the new faces.

That being said, USA Today's "Touchdown Wire" released a way too early power rankings ahead of the 2025 NFL Draft, purely dissecting the state of each franchise following early free agent signings. Per Jarrett Bailey, he believes the Raiders are good enough to crack the Top 20, ranking them in spot 18.

Below is what Bailey had to say to back his claim:

"Tom Brady is stepping in with his quail egg ice cream or whatever he eats to get stuff done. Paying Maxx Crosby the GDP of the state of Nevada? Well done. A trade for Geno Smith? Ooo, how naughty. Capped off by the hiring of Pete Carroll as head coach, the Raiders will, at minimum, be competitive and crack a Wild Card spot at most," Bailey wrote.

The tall task is in front of the Raiders going into the new season, as they could sneak their way back into the playoffs as a wild card team, as Bailey predicts. While that would take all the new free agent signings to pan out, there is a world where the Raiders could be competing deep into the season.

With a returning and newly extended Maxx Crosby to lead the defense and a highly anticipated second year for star tight end Brock Bowers, the pieces of the playoff puzzle are definitely there. Not to mention the upside that wide receiver Jakobi Meyers holds following a strong 2024 campaign.

If the Raiders can find their mojo sooner rather than later, they could be the team to beat down the stretch for a playoff spot, as they have true Hall of Fame leadership guiding them in the right direction.

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This article first appeared on Las Vegas Raiders on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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