There are some intriguing new players in Las Vegas
There were 23 new players on the Las Vegas Raiders, as of Week 14, on the 53-man roster.
We are going to rank the top five newcomers on the current roster. That means no players on the injured reserve (Christian Wilkins, anyone?) are on this list:
Brock Bowers:
Surprise.
Really, Bowers may be the top newcomer in the entire NFL this season. The rookie tight end has been brilliant and he looks like a generational player. This season has been horrible, but, at least, there’s Bowers.
Jackson Powers-Johnson;
The second-round pick looks like a keeper. He isn’t perfect and he is a bit of a penalty magnet. But he has a extremely solid future at center.
Jonah Laulu:
This kid is intriguing. The Raiders claimed Laulu (a Las Vegas native) off waivers from the Indianapolis Colts just before the start of the season. The Colts cut their seventh-round pick from Oklahoma and the Raiders are pleased they did. Laulu keeps getting more playing time at defensive tackle and he is making plays. He should be a rotational player, at least, in the future.
D.J Glaze:
The third-round pick is the right tackle and he is serviceable. He has a chance be a mainstay on the offensive line for the long haul.
K’Lavon Chaisson:
The former first-round pick of the Jacksonville Jaguars was picked up early in the season when the Raiders suffered injuries at defensive end. He has been a solid performer and shows some pass-rush burst. He could be a player the Raiders want to re-sign in 2025.
Conclusion:
This group consists of rookies and an in-season pick up. There are no unrestricted free agents on this list and that shows it was a weak class other than Wilkins. But as long as the youngsters develop, that’s a positive.