Most NFL teams can only go as far as their quarterback takes them. That’s not really a bold statement. So if the Raiders want to go deeper in the playoffs than they did last year, Derek Carr is going to need to play even better.
But outside of Carr, who is the next most valuable and most important player for the Raiders? You could make a case for Maxx Crosby, who led the NFL in pressures last year. You could also say Kolton Miller, the only proven offensive lineman for the Raiders. But the answer here is actually pretty obvious.
In a recent article by Kevin Patra of NFL.com, he named every team’s most valuable non-quarterback heading into the 2022 season. For the Raiders, that was none other than Davante Adams. Here is a snippet of his thoughts on Adams entering his first season with the Raiders:
