Can a Raiders fan be positive?
After a 4-13 season and being bottom of arguably one of the strongest divisions in football, being a Las Vegas Raiders fan, you might think I could be dreading this upcoming season.
But after this offseason and before the draft, I am trying to look at the light rather than the dark.
We finally have a head coach with something to prove, a quarterback capable of winning football games, a Maxx Crosby happy with a large extension done, and a few picks in the draft that can get us some very good talent.
We could have the ingredients to make a very intimidating defense with some very helpful options on offense.
Draft glory or horror show?
There is no wide receivers in the room of any quality apart from Jakobi Meyers, who is more like a number two.
With this not being a very deep wide receiver draft, I imagine a veteran receiver will be coming.
Bringing back Amari Cooper, who was drafted by the Raiders in 2015, has a feel-good story about it after a decent second half of the season with the Bills.
Unlike at wide receiver, there is a very deep running back class and could have some very good picks in the second or third round.
Ashton Jeanty is an obvious first-round target for someone – potentially us.
I think very highly of TreVeyon Henderson or Quinshon Judkins, who both could fall to the 37th pick and become a Week 1 starter for the Raiders.
But just like last year when we picked a generational talent at tight end in Brock Bowers, I imagine letting Jeanty through their fingers probably will not happen.
Sometimes the quality of the player is so high that team needs are put to the side, and a linebacker or wide receiver in the second round will probably be done.
Safety can be hoovered up in the later rounds, and maybe another wide receiver who is overlooked.
False hope or vindication?
Whatever happens before the season starts, I will be hoping that I might finally feel good when I put a Raiders game on this season again.
Because like Mark Davis has said recently, we are currently undefeated with plenty of reasons not to think otherwise.
