After a disastrous season, the Las vegas Raiders revitalized their defense by landing Quay Walker and Kwity Paye to fortify a front seven.
The Las Vegas Raiders moved on from Pete Carroll, Chip Kelly and Geno Smith. Now, they are trying to erase the ugly 2025 season from their memories.
Sure, the Raiders' 3-14 season led to them having the top pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, and they sure are hoping that Indiana Hoosiers star QB Fernando Mendoza can be in Sin City for a very, very long time.
However, even before the NFL Draft, the Raiders showed they are serious about revamping this roster and trying to make the postseason once again.
From the start of free agency, the Raiders added a flurry of players, with nearly 10 deals agreed to on the first day of the legal tampering period.
And, that doesn't even include Maxx Crosby "returning" after the Baltimore Ravens backed out of the trade agreement in a stunning twist.
Matt Okada of NFL.com named seven teams that addressed big weaknesses this offseason, and the Raiders made the list after filling some much-needed holes in the defensive front seven.
Some of those moves included signing Quay Walker and Nakobe Dean, who were once teammates in the NCAA with the Georgia Bulldogs.
The Raiders then gave Indianapolis Colts pass rusher Kwity Paye a three-year, $48 million deal, so the Raiders invested heavily in that area.
"Las Vegas produced the third-lowest QB pressure rate in the league last year (28.0%), and the linebacker group was particularly problematic, generating the second-lowest pressure rate (10.8%), the fourth-highest missed tackle rate (14.6%) and the most missed tackle yards allowed (416) at the position," Okada wrote.
And, bringing back Crosby, although he never officially went anywhere else, is a huge boost.
The Raiders then added Auburn defensive end Keyron Crawford in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft, and GM John Spytek is showing he is very serious about putting together a talented front-seven.
And, that makes sense with Bo Nix, Patrick Mahomes and Justin Herbert listed as the QBs in the AFC West.
A lot of discussion has been about the upgrades the Raiders made on offense, and rightfully so. Center Tyler Linderbaum was the prized free agent signing for the Raiders.
But, at the end of the day, none of that matters if the defense can't stop the opposing offenses from scoring lots of points.
Although it has been a rough few seasons in Las Vegas, the front office and new coaching staff is hoping that things can change quickly with some new faces on the roster.
