Las Vegas Raiders 2020 season preview: Can defense, Derek Carr step up in first year in Sin City?

ByESPN Staff

Tuesday, September 8, 2020

The Las Vegas Raiders are ranked No. 23 in ESPN's Football Power Index ahead of the 2020 NFL season. With no preseason games this year amid the coronavirus pandemic, Week 1 is the first time we'll see new acquisitions and rookies for every team. Week 1 will also give us the first NFL games since Super Bowl LIV in February.

Here's everything you need to know about the Raiders heading into the season, from the big question to answer and the toughest stretch on their schedule to a bold prediction and potential breakout fantasy football stars.

Full schedule | Roster | Depth chart

The big question: Is the defense re-tuned enough to stay competitive with the Chiefs?

The Raiders could have as many as seven new starters on the defensive side of the ball -- highlighted by DT Maliek Collins, LBs Cory Littleton and Nick Kwiatkoski, rookie CB Damon Arnette and now-healthy S Johnathan Abram -- compared to last year's season finale starting lineup. They look faster and more fierce but so, too, do the Super Bowl champion Chiefs. Stay tuned. -- Paul Gutierrez

How the pandemic has most affected the Raiders

Three players who were long shots to make the initial 53-man roster opted out while three others have been on the reserve/COVID-19 list but are now off it, healthy and practicing -- running backs Devontae Booker and Rod Smith and defensive end Maxx Crosby. Raiders coach Jon Gruden's mantra of "Crush the virus" has been taken to heart by the Raiders in their new home, the coronavirus hot spot that is Las Vegas. So bored was Crosby in quarantine that he took to training on a palm tree in his backyard, getting splinters from working on hand drills against it. -- Gutierrez