Dissecting the Raiders: Will young players continue to develop?

The Raiders are feeling good coming off a blowout victory Thursday night to keep their faint glimmer of hope for a postseason berth alive.

With three games left and those chances hovering around 2 percent, however, it soon will be time to turn the focus to next season.

Here are some thoughts from our Vegas Nation staff about what to watch for the rest of this season and for what promises to be an eventful offseason:

What is the biggest thing to watch in the final month of the season?

Ed Graney: The obvious answer would be an offense that hasn’t produced much of anything the entire season until the rout of a bad Chargers team Thursday. But that’s too easy. It will be interesting to see how much the defense continues to improve and how much younger players get better. Particularly interesting is rookie defensive lineman Tyree Wilson, who has shown some flashes lately of becoming at least a nice complementary player within the scheme.

Vinny Bonsignore: The various levels of Aidan O’Connell were on full display over a four-day period in which he was terrible against the Vikings and excellent against the Chargers. Keeping an eye on the young quarterback’s consistency will give the Raiders a better idea if the Vikings game was more his norm or the Chargers game. If it’s the former, the Raiders need to get a quarterback.

Adam Hill: The continued development of some of the team’s younger players. Tight end Michael Mayer has shown flashes of brilliance and needs more targets to build consistency. Tre Tucker had a breakout game Thursday and has elite speed that can be a game-changer if he can more consistently secure the ball. Zamir White showed some burst in his first true role as a feature back. Jack Jones looks like a playmaker on defense, and Malcolm Koonce, who is now in his third season, keeps getting better. Those are just some of the young players who might help form the foundation for the rebuild.

Sam Gordon: Do their younger players — many of whom starred Thursday in their blowout of the Chargers — continue to develop? The players, as evidenced by their response to the shutout loss Sunday to the Vikings, clearly remain invested in interim coach Antonio Pierce, who can build momentum toward the full-time job with an impressive finish.

What should be the top offseason priorities?

Ed Graney: Quarterback. Plain and simple. Aidan O’Connell hasn’t proven to be the long-term answer — he was very good against the Chargers — meaning the team needs to evaluate most all quarterbacks in the draft while also considering a trade for a current starter in the league. It would certainly help if the Raiders lose enough to secure a top-10 draft pick. But even if it means overpaying to trade up, landing a quarterback the Raiders wholeheartedly believe is their future becomes the No. 1 priority.

Vinny Bonsignore: See the previous question. If they decide Aidan O’Connell’s ceiling is that of a midrange quarterback, it’s high time they do whatever it takes to reel in a young prospect whose ceiling reaches the level needed to compete for Super Bowls.

Adam Hill: The power structure needs to get straightened out before anything else. Obviously, the Raiders need a franchise quarterback, and there are several other positions in need of upgrades. But none of that will matter unless they figure out the right combination of coach and general manager. Could it be Champ Kelly and Antonio Pierce? Sure. But owner Mark Davis needs to make the right call for any player to have a chance to be successful and for the franchise to stop spinning its wheels.

Sam Gordon: Quarterback. Poor quarterback play has plagued them all season, and the eventual acquisition of a franchise quarterback is the only thing that can elevate them toward legitimate contention..

Who is your vote for team MVP at this point?

Ed Graney: Well, I’m going with the guy who spent a night in the hospital with bacteria in his knee and still played a few days later. Maxx Crosby is as tough as they come and has led an improving defense all season long. He’s the first player in franchise history to record 50-plus sacks in his first five NFL seasons. He also has a career best in sacks with 13½. He also broke his own record for most tackles by a Raiders defensive lineman in the first 13 games of a season. He’s your MVP.

Vinny Bonsignore: Maxx Crosby continues to raise his level of play, and he is clearly the Raiders’ leader as a player and in the locker room.

Adam Hill: Of course, it’s Maxx Crosby. He’s established himself as not only an elite player but also one of the best leaders in the league with a work ethic that brings teammates along with him.

Sam Gordon: One of NFL’s most destructive defenders, Maxx Crosby is driving a spectacular turnaround for Patrick Graham’s unit. His leadership — and commitment to playing as many snaps as possible — is as important as his production.

What has been the most positive development this season in terms of building for the future?

Ed Graney: Patrick Graham’s defense. Funny. It was before the season when the biggest question mark most had about this team was on the defensive side of the ball. But it was been an improving unit throughout, still not an elite defense but much better than most anyone imagined. The Raiders rank 16th in yards allowed and ninth in points allowed. They have been particularly good against the pass, ranking 10th in the NFL.

Vinny Bonsignore: The defense, long the weakness of the team, has shown it can be an asset. That doesn’t mean some tinkering isn’t needed, but by no means do they face a desperate situation of having to fill multiple holes.

Adam Hill: The defense is certainly the easy answer. It would be unfair not to mention the offensive line, which has played at a high level. That group doesn’t get the credit it deserves because the quarterback play has not been consistent enough. The continued elite play of the special teams also deserves consideration. But, yes, it’s the defense.

Sam Gordon: The defensive turnaround remains remarkable despite the persistent offensive struggles. The Raiders are rugged, as evidenced by stout statistical improvements in seemingly every key defensive metric.

What has been the most disappointing aspect of the season?

Ed Graney: The offense. It’s crazy to think a team with the likes of Davante Adams and Josh Jacobs and Jakobi Meyers has been this bad moving the ball and scoring before the Chargers game. But that goes to show how incredibly significant the quarterback position is, and the Raiders just haven’t received good enough consistent play from the spot to do much of anything positive most weeks. Jimmy Garoppolo struggled before giving way to Aidan O’Connell, who looked every bit a rookie on the majority of his snaps before Thursday.

Vinny Bonsignore: Aside from Thursday’s scoring explosion against the Chargers, the offense hasn’t lifted off in a way many expected. It was impossible to have predicted how bad they would have been on that side of the football.

Adam Hill: This was supposed to be a team with an elite offense with question marks on defense. What happened? But really, the most disappointing aspect of the season is the realization that the Raiders probably should have started to rebuild before the 2022 season and didn’t. Then they should have gone that direction before this season and didn’t. So now, it looks as if they are starting over two years behind schedule.

Sam Gordon: The offense has been disastrous, Thursday night notwithstanding. An offense laden with veterans and All-Pros regressed under former coach Josh McDaniels and his remaining offensive coaching staff. Three statuesque quarterbacks don’t offer much unpredictability, necessitating all the more an eventual, modern franchise quarterback.

Contact Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AdamHillLVRJ on X.