REPORT: Did the Raiders Boost Their Stock?

The Las Vegas Raiders went toe-to-toe with the defending Super Bowl champions again on Friday. Did their productive outing give them a boost in the rankings?

Nov 29, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers (89) is unable to make a catch against Kansas City Chiefs safety Justin Reid (20) during the second half at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images / Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

The Las Vegas Raiders faced the Kansas City Chiefs on Black Friday in another instant classic. The loss put the Raiders in position to secure the first overall draft pick in the upcoming NFL Draft.

However, it also showed that the Raiders have potential, as they nearly beat the Chiefs in Arrowhead for a second consecutive season and did so, missing multiple starters on the defensive side of the ball. The Raiders’ productive showing against the Chiefs raised questions about how far the Raiders are from being a competitive team.

Based on their hard-fought loss to the Chiefs, the Raiders may not be as far off as many initially believed. 

Vinny Iyer of The Sporting News recently released his weekly power rankings for every team in the National Football League. While the Raiders are undoubtedly one of the worst teams in the league, their performance against Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs proved they are not the worst, which is where Iyer ranked them last week. 

Iyer ranked the Raiders as the 31st-best team in the league, one spot higher than he ranked them last week. The slight bump in the ratings was a tiny nod to the Raiders’ playing well against the Chiefs this past weekend. 

“Aidan O'Connell and the defense played well in Kansas City, but that doesn't change the fact the Raiders need a true franchise QB and a new offensive-minded head coach in 2025,” Iyer said.

Iyer's belief that the Raiders still need a quarterback is fair.

The Raiders will likely draft a quarterback in the first round of the upcoming draft, but with the first overall pick, the Raiders' options are technically endless. No quarterback in the draft is guaranteed to be successful in the league; no player is.

However, there are plenty of cases in NFL history where quarterbacks entered the league with high expectations and lived up to them. Raiders general manager Tom Telesco has a history with two quarterbacks who fit that mold: Peyton Manning and Justin Herbert.

Telesco may not feel there is a quarterback in this draft with similar upside or enough upside to justify using the highest draft pick. However, the owner of the first overall draft pick sets the tone for the entire draft, and the Raiders have plenty of options regarding what to do with it.

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