Raiders 2022: Remaining worry spots for Las Vegas

With the NFL Draft completed and the free agency market in the third wave, we can get a pretty good look at the 2022 Las Vegas Raiders’ roster.

Of course, the 53-man roster isn’t set and there will be more additions, with perhaps a couple of veterans coming after June 1 when the team gets some salary-cap relief.

Still, we have a fairly clear idea what the first Dave Ziegler-Josh McDaniels’ Las Vegas roster will look like after an extremely busy free-agency period and an active draft. Here are the remaining worry areas/needs, that I think the Raiders have, in order:

Offensive line:
This is no surprise, even after the Raiders added interior lineman Dylan Parham in the third round and likely tackle Thayer Munford in the seventh round of the draft. The thing about this unit is it is unsettled, with the starter at two or three position still unclear. I could see a veteran being added as well. The biggest issue here is that it is unsettled. Perhaps it will be a solid unit when the dust settles.

Secondary:
The Raiders studied several cornerbacks prior to the draft, but ultimately, didn’t address the position with one of their six draft picks. There is a large group of veterans available at the position in free agency. If Las Vegas added a little safety help, it wouldn’t be a surprise, either.

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No. 2 receiver:
I don’t think the Raiders need to add here. They have added big at receiver this offseason. This is about Bryan Edwards doing enough as the No. 2 starter behind new star No. 1 receiver Davante Adams. Edwards, a third-round pick in 2020, needs to take the next step in 2022. If he doesn’t, though, it’s not the end of the world. Derek Carr has Adams, star tight end Daren Waller and slot stud Hunter Renfrow. Whatever Edwards gives the Raiders will be a cherry on top of an explosive offense. But if one of the Big Three gets hurt, Edwards will need to show he can handle the pressure more consistency better than he has in the past.

Linebacker:
A name to keep an eye out for is undrafted rookie Darien Butler. He is a special teams standout and played for new Raiders linebackers coach Antonio Pierce in college. He has a chance to make the team as a backup. But perhaps the Raiders will look for a veteran as insurance in case a starter gets injured.

Conclusion:
There isn’t a ton of problem areas on this team. The key is keeping their top talent healthy and hoping the holes (every team has some) result in minimal issues in the big picture.