The Las Vegas Raiders finished the 2024 season 4-13. Offensively the Raiders were terrible, averaging only 303.2 yards (27th of 32) and 18.2 points (28th) per game with a rushing attack that was dead last in the league (79.8 ypg).
Despite flashes of individual brilliance, particularly from rookie tight end Brock Bowers and receiver Jakobi Meyers, the offensive line lacked push, quarterback play was inconsistent, and the team routinely failed to sustain drives.
But that was last year. In 2025, the Raiders are a completely different team. New leadership. New talent. A new identity. And perhaps, finally, a new direction.
Pete Carroll Takes the Wheel
The first offseason move the Raiders made was firing head coach Antonio Pierce and bringing in Pete Carroll. Carroll brings with him a Hall of Fame resume: a Super Bowl champion with the Seahawks, a two-time national champion at USC, and one of the most respected culture-builders in football. At 73, Carroll returns to the NFL with a clear mission: to restore toughness, discipline, and a winning identity to the Raiders franchise.
Carroll wasted no time assembling a veteran staff, starting bringing in Chip Kelly to be offensive coordinator. Kelly, coming off a National Championship at Ohio State, is known for his up-tempo, innovative schemes, ones that could maximize the talents of players like Brock Bowers, Jakobi Meyers, and first-round rookie Ashton Jeanty.
A Familiar Face Under Center
One of Pete Carrol’s first moves was trading a 3rd round pick to reunite himself with quarterback Geno Smith. Quarterback play was a major problem for this team in 2024 with Aidan O’Connell and Gardner Minshew.
Smith is coming off a productive three-year run as the Seahawks’ starter and he brings over a decade of NFL experience. But perhaps just as important as the numbers is the fit. Geno spent four seasons in Pete Carroll’s system. That familiarity with Carroll’s philosophy and expectations should help ease his transition to Vegas
NFL Draft: Smashmouth Football Returns
The Raiders entered the 2025 NFL Draft with clear priorities: fix the run game, add depth across the roster, and get tougher in the trenches. With the 6th overall pick, they took Heisman runner-up running back Ashton Jeanty out of Boise State. Early for a running back? Absolutely. But I love the move, especially for a team who just ranked dead last in rushing per game. Jeanty led all of college football in missed tackles forced in 2024 and finished with over 1,500 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns. He’s a powerful, one-cut runner with serious contact balance and burst, and he fits perfectly into Pete Carroll’s ground-and-pound identity. There’s no doubt he will make an immediate impact.
In total, Las Vegas drafted 11 players including second-round wide receiver Jack Bech out of TCU, who had a 1,000-yard season in college and projects as a reliable slot option. They also added developmental talent like CB Darien Porter, G Caleb Rogers, OT Charles Grant, and defensive linemen Tonka Hemingway and J.J. Pegues, all picks aimed at building long-term depth in the trenches and secondary. One sneaky-good pick was QB Cam Miller in the 6th round, a record-setting FCS quarterback from North Dakota State who Tom Brady reportedly loved.
2025 Outlook: A New Era, A Brutal Division
So with all these changes, what should we realistically expect from the 2025 Raiders?
Analysts agree: Las Vegas will be better. The offense should improve significantly under Chip Kelly, especially with Geno Smith, Ashton Jeanty, and Brock Bowers forming a new core. Defensively, there are concerns, especially losing Robert Spillane who had the third-most tackles in the NFL with 158. But assuming Maxx Crosby and Christian Wilkins will be healthy, this defense should be solid.
But here’s the reality: the AFC West is brutal. All three division rivals (Kansas City, Denver, and the Chargers) made the playoffs in 2024. And while the Raiders improved in the offseason, so did these teams. Because of this, SportsLine has the Raiders win-loss betting line at just 6.5 wins. Still, for the first time in years, there’s a clear identity taking shape in Las Vegas, and while they might be underdogs on paper, this is a dangerous team that could very easily shock the league.
