With massive cap space and the No. 1 pick, the Raiders' opening offers upside, but is it enough to overcome division challenges?
Late Wednesday night, the first domino of the NFL head coaching cycle dropped with reports stating that the New York Giants were finalizing a deal for John Harbaugh.
No more than two weeks after Harbaugh was fired by the Baltimore Ravens, he is set to head to the Giants to work with Jaxson Dart, Cam Skattebo and Malik Nabers as part of a talented young roster.
That still leaves eight openings in the NFL, and one of them is the Las Vegas Raiders.
The Raiders have had a flurry of interviews, but with Harbaugh off the board, other open jobs around the league could start to fill quickly.
Gary Davenport of Bleacher Report ranked the eight HC openings after the Giants hired Harbaugh, and the Raiders' job is at No. 5 on the list.
"The head coach who takes over the Las Vegas Raiders will inherit some genuine advantages. The Raiders have the league's third-most cap space—nearly $90 million—and play in a state-of-the-art stadium in Las Vegas. The greatest quarterback in NFL history is now part of the ownership group, adding both cachet and influence to the organization. On top of that, the Raiders hold the No. 1 pick and can choose any prospect in the 2026 draft class, likely Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza."
While having the No. 1 overall pick is a good thing, the Raiders finished 3-14 in a disaster season with Pete Carroll as the head coach.
Still, despite a rough year, there are a lot of promising players on the roster, although the future of star pass rusher Maxx Crosby remains uncertain entering the offseason.
"There are some building blocks on the roster in players such as tight end Brock Bowers, running back Ashton Jeanty and edge-rusher Maxx Crosby. However, the Raiders were dead-last in the league in total offense last year and 25th in scoring defense a year ago. There is work to be done on both sides of the ball. And with Las Vegas playing in a division with the Denver Broncos, the Los Angeles Chargers and the Kansas City Chiefs, engineering a quick turnaround won't be an easy task."
That last sentence is also noteworthy. The Denver Broncos finished as the AFC's No. 1 seed. The Los Angeles Chargers made the playoffs for the second year in a row with Jim Harbaugh.
And, while the Kansas City Chiefs didn't make the postseason, they are still a tough team for as long as Patrick Mahomes is the starting quarterback.
So, while there are attractive reasons for the Raiders opening, it isn't the premier destination, which could make it difficult for Las Vegas to land a top candidate.