Raiders Who Must Step Up in 2025
Darrell Craig Harris, Sports Illustrated
The Las Vegas Raiders have had an eventful offseason in which things have moved rapidly. However, the Raiders are ready to move on from the past few dismal seasons and get to work under Raiders Head Coach Pete Carroll.
Las Vegas Raiders s Isaiah Pola-Mao
Las Vegas looks like an improved team on paper, but only what happens on the field will tell the tale about this season's Raiders team. Las Vegas needs certain things to go well this upcoming season to be successful, below are a few Raiders players who must step up this upcoming season.
1. Alex Cappa
Darrell Craig Harris, Sports Illustrated
The Raiders signed Cappa earlier in free agency to help bolster their offensive line. The veteran offensive lineman is trusted by Tom Brady and John Spytek and they hope he will quickly earn the trust of new Raiders' quarterback Geno Smith. Cappa is the lone new face on the starting offensive line this upcoming season, but if he can help solidify Las Vegas' offensive line, it could lead to success in many other areas on the offensive side of the ball.
2. Isaiah Pola-Mao
Darrell Craig Harris, Sports Illustrated
The Raiders desperately need their young players to play like elder statesmen. One of those players is veteran safety Isaiah Pola-Mao. As he enters the offseason slated as the team's starter for the first time in his career. He is already working on improving his game in preparation for the upcoming season. Following Organized Team Activities, Pola-Mao elaborated. "I definitely want to pick up on my man coverage, just because a lot of times my eyes were in the wrong places last year, so that kind of got me in trouble. I think that's where it starts," Pola-Mao said. The Raiders need Pola-Mao to play his best in order to be successful.
3. Malcolm Koonce
Las Vegas Raiders DE Malcolm Koonce from OTAs | Darrell Craig Harris, Sports Illustrated
The Raiders suffered several significant losses last season, on and off the field. One of those biggest losses Las Vegas sustained last season was the loss of budding defensive end Malcolm Koonce. The Raiders believe Koonce will get back to where he was last offseason, which is high praise from the team's coach staff. Still, the Raiders defense needs a consistent pass rush on the opposite end of Maxx Crosby, as well as a solid presence against the run. The Raiders need Koonce to stay healthy and perform well this season.
