Who’s Really The Top 3 For The Las Vegas Raiders?

The other day, Pro Football Focus put out a piece highlighting each NFL team’s three best players. Did they get it right for the Las Vegas Raiders?

The Raiders’ top 3, according to PFF, are:

1. Derek Carr
2. Davante Adams
3. Maxx Crosby

The one thing that is obvious here is that PFF placed a big emphasis on positional value. I think this is why you see Carr and Crosby on the list, and not Darren Waller. I think most would consider Carr a top ten quarterback in the league, Crosby a top five edge rusher, and Waller a top three tight end in the league. There is a strong case to make that a top ten quarterback is more important than a top three player at any other position. The quarterback impacts the game in some way on virtually every offensive snap. You could say something similar about edge rushers on the other side of the ball, albeit to a lesser extent. When you compare those positions to a much lower impact position like tight end, you start to see why PFF omitted Waller.

Did they get it right?

Let’s start with the no-brainer here. That’s Davante Adams. He is arguably the best player in the league at one of the most important positions. Looking at Crosby, he has been the Raiders’ best defensive player by a wide margin since he was drafted. The fact that he is stout against the run, on top of being an elite pass rusher, makes his status as a top three player on the Raiders (and most other teams) undeniable.

Okay, we’ll give DC his own paragraph. Since the moment he entered the league, Raider Nation has debated just how good Carr is. At this point, the picture has gotten pretty clear. Carr is a high-level NFL quarterback, but perhaps not an “elite” one. Sometimes people forget just how difficult it is to play quarterback at a high level in this league on a consistent basis. There is a reason why the position pays as well as it does. The fact is, if you have a top ten quarterback in the league, they are one of your top three players, plain and simple.

Looking at some of the other candidates, the one with the best case is Waller. While he is certainly one of the best tight ends in the league, he took a bit of a step back this past season. Obviously, injuries were a factor, but he was not nearly as dominant as he was in 2020, or even 2019. Another possibility is Hunter Renfrow. He is a top three to five slot receiver in the league. However, he just doesn’t impact the game like an Adams type of receiver does. Also, don’t sleep on Kolton Miller. If he emerges as one of the top five tackles in the league, he would have a strong case, but he is not there yet.

My Top 3 (No particular order)

1. Davante Adams
2. Derek Carr
3. Maxx Crosby

Despite my qualms with PFF, I think they got this right. Position is important. Otherwise, we might as well replace Carr and Crosby with A.J. Cole and Daniel Carlson. At the end of the day, the Raiders’ success in 2022 will likely come down to the play of Adams, Carr, and Crosby.

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