Raiders' Youth Movement Being Tested During Dismal Season

The Las Vegas Raiders have youthful talent at multiple positions. Injuries and a subpar season have forced them into more prominent roles, sooner than expected.

Oct 27, 2024; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers (89) walks off the field after the Raiders were defeated by the Kansas City Chiefs 27-20 at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images / Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

Nearly half of the offensive and defensive starters for the Las Vegas Raiders have been in the National Football League for three seasons or less.

Along with the starters, many players the Raiders depend heavily on, who are not starters, have also been in the league for three years or less. The Raiders have plenty of talented players on the team, who just so happen to be young.

Injuries have decimated the Raiders this season and the injuries started at the worst possible time. Days before the first game of the season, blossoming defensive end Malcolm Koonce went down with a significant injury. It was likely a season-ending injury. It was a major blow to the team’s hopes of having one of the best defenses in the league.

However, even Koonce was a young player, entering his fourth season in the league with limited playing time.

The Raiders went from a team with a healthy mix of veterans and young players, to a team heavily reliant upon it’s youth. The Raiders have had to lean on those players much more and much sooner than they had ever planned to do so. This has led to trial by fire for the youthful group of Raiders.

"I mean, we’re playing with a lot of young guys,” said Raiders coach Antonio Pierce. “I mean, you look out, there's a lot of young guys. But I think that's the whole part that makes coaching fun, just seeing the development of those players. Again, I think you're talking about Jackson Powers [Johnson]. 

“I mean, he played left guard, and we had an injury, and he went right in there at center and didn't blink. So, I mean, the things that some of these younger players are doing, Brock [Bowers], the season that he's having, D-Cam [Decamerion Richardson] now is starting to come along. We got some young guys who, hopefully, on the back end of the season, can really help us even more."

While the Raiders are happy many of their younger players have shown potential, the fact remains that the Raiders season has been less than ideal. Still, the Raiders at least get the chance to develop their rotation even more for the future. This season may not go the way many would like, but it could be worth it in the long run.

The Raiders are 2-6 and there is no denying they are a bad team. There are no excuses that can be made for how poorly the team has performed at times this season. However, if there are any positives that can be taken from the terrible start to the season, it is that the Raiders will likely have a top draft pick in the upcoming draft and there will be half a season of experience many young players can get.

This will only improve the Raiders next season and beyond.

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