It’s now the middle of July, which means we’re getting super close to the start of the 2025 season.
The Las Vegas Raiders are going to be one of the more interesting teams to watch this fall. The team had another poor season in 2024, and as a result, cleaned house.
Now, veteran coach Pete Carroll is in charge, and John Spytek was added to be the general manager. The team also added Geno Smith to be the quarterback and drafted star running back Ashton Jeanty in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft.
With the season approaching, let’s see where the Raiders stand in some power rankings.
Maurice Moton, Bleacher Report: 22nd
Moton has the Raiders slotted in at 22nd. The Raiders are the lowest-rated AFC West team, but it’s still an improvement over where they were last year. It’s understandable to be lower on them than the rest of the teams in a stacked AFC West.
Regarding this placement, Moton offered the following:
Yet the Raiders’ key offseason moves may not be enough to put the club in playoff contention.
The Raiders have a glaring question mark on the defensive line, as Christian Wilkins recovers from a Jones fracture. Las Vegas has an inexperienced secondary at cornerback and safety, a young receiver group behind Jakobi Meyers and an unsettled offensive line, specifically at guard.
The Raiders will be more competitive than last year’s 4-13 squad, but they still have too many roster uncertainties to make a surprising leap in the AFC.
As Moton mentioned, the Raiders will be better than last year, but there are too many uncertainties to have them ranked any higher.
Mike Florio, Pro Football Talk: 27th
Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk is also a respected NFL analyst who frequently provides power rankings. Florio is lower on the Raiders than Moton, having the team at 27.
Regarding this placement, Florio simply said “They’re stuck behind three playoff teams in their division — and each of them look like they’re ready to get there again.”
ESPN’s Football Power Index (FPI): 24th
Lastly, we have ESPN’s Football Power Index (FPI) which has the Raiders right in the middle of the other two rankings. FPI is calculated by by considering offensive, defensive, and special teams strength, along with factors like schedule strength, returning production, and coaching tenure.
The model predicts the Raiders to finish with a 7-10 record in 2025 and gives the team a 23.1% chance to make the playoffs and a 6.4% chance to win the division.
