The Las Vegas Raiders have undergone plenty of changes this offseason, starting with the hiring of Pete Carroll and John Spytek as head coach and general manager. The duo almost entirely overhauled the defense as all of last season's Week 1 starting linebackers and defensive backs are no longer with the franchise.
Meanwhile, there was also a focus on improving an offense that was one of the worst in the league despite having two 1,000-yard pass catchers. Las Vegas traded for quarterback Geno Smith while using the sixth overall pick to draft running back Ashton Jeanty.
While Smith turns 35 years old in October, he represents a clear upgrade over Gardner Minshew, Aidan O'Connell and Desmond Ridder, all of whom started for the Raiders in 2024.