Starting February 27, the NFL world will descend on Indianapolis for the annual draft combine.
All 32 NFL teams get the chance to compare the top prospects at each position through a series of drills. They will also have the opportunity to hold interviews with prospects, hoping to gain significant insights on the players they hope to draft. The combine does not necessarily show the full picture on who teams will and will not draft, but it provides a clear indication on what direction they want to go.
The Las Vegas Raiders are no exception to this. Like all other teams, the Raiders come in to the combine with their own needs. Strong performances from this rookie class will influence many of the team’s decisions, from free agency all the way to draft night.
Here are three positions the Raiders will want to pay close attention to:
Quarterbacks
This one feels self-explanatory, as much has been said about the Raiders’ quarterback situation.
As demonized as Derek Carr has been since leaving the Raiders by the fans, the team shot themselves in the foot by releasing him in 2023 without proper planning. Since then, the position has become a revolving door of underwhelming veterans and younger dart throws. Nothing has panned out, and it is a major reason the Raiders are stuck in the basement of the league.
Regardless of what the Raiders do in free agency, leaving the draft without a quarterback for the second straight year is a fatal mistake. The quarterback crop lacks depth this year, but the Raiders still have the opportunity to find their franchise savior under center. All of the top options are present, so the Raiders will get their chance to see them in action and pick out who they have the most interest in.
The quarterbacks take the field on Saturday, March 1, so expect the Raiders to hit that day of the combine hard.
Wide receivers
Speaking of which, March 1 is far and away the most important day for the Raiders in this combine.
Not only are quarterbacks in action that day, but running backs and wide receivers also perform their drills as well. The former was an honorable mention for this list, but no rookie quarterback can hope to succeed without a strong supporting cast. The Raiders have tight end Brock Bowers and wide receiver Jakobi Meyers, but they are in desperate need of depth behind those two options.
The Raiders are currently connected to several veteran wide receivers, whether in free agency or via trade. However, such options are only short-term propositions, leaving the team still needing younger options. They are in range of the top receiver in the class in Arizona’s Tetairoa McMillan, but the Raiders will look for potential values throughout the position.
Expect the Raiders to key in on several receivers next weekend, possibly giving an insight on how new offensive coordinator Chip Kelly wants his scheme to look like.
Defensive backs
On the other side of the ball, the Raiders have several decisions to make with their secondary.
Key defensive backs like safety Tre’Von Moehrig and slot cornerback Nate Hobbs are free agents. Other players such as top cornerback Jack Jones endured inconsistent play from last season, as well. While the Raiders tried to address this with recent draft picks such as cornerbacks Jakorian Bennett and Decamerion Richardson, they definitely need to place an emphasis on the group this offseason.
How aggressively the Raiders attack this position during the combine will resonate with their roster decisions. If the Raiders find multiple prospects they like, they will have no problem waiting until the draft to do the heavy lifting on the secondary. Otherwise, the team will overhaul the unit through free agency while waiting to find key depth players.
Defensive backs practice on Friday, February 28, giving the Raiders some time to come up with a battle plan.
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