It was a season to forget for the Las Vegas Raiders. Their once-stout defense didn’t hold up its end of the bargain, and with no legitimate quarterback play available, the offense catered simultaneously.
Both sides of the football need help, and new owner Tom Brady, along with a new coaching unit led by Pete Carroll, will look to make some instant changes. One analyst believes that translates to rebuilding Las Vegas’ entire offense to best suit the style run by offensive coordinator Chip Kelly.
Las Vegas Raiders Predicted To Build Offense With Familiar Name for Chip Kelly
The Raiders’ defense, thanks to a second-half surge (even without Maxx Crosby in the lineup), finished 21st in PFSN’s Defense+ metric. However, the offense, managed by quarterbacks Gardner Minshew II and Aidan O’Connell, was a mess, ranking as the fourth-worst unit in the NFL per PFSN’s Offense+ metric.
Making changes on that end has to be priority No. 1, and hiring Kelly from Ohio State signals that the front office thinks similarly. Joe DeLeone of PFSN has a solution in his latest mock draft to build out at least a competent offense next season itself, which would be a large step up from years prior.
While having Shedeur Sanders land in Las Vegas at No. 6 overall, DeLeone has the Raiders picking up a wide receiver in Matthew Golden and a cornerback in Cobee Bryant with their next two selections. But in order to support the passing game, he has a familiar name in mind for Kelly.
At No. 73 overall in the 2025 NFL Draft, DeLeone has Vegas going after TreVeyon Henderson.
“This season at Ohio State, Chip Kelly created a surplus of splash plays with TreVeyon Henderson. Now he can recapture that spark by drafting him early in the third round.”
In his three healthy years, Henderson tallied over 1,000 scrimmage yards each season and became a favorite of Kelly’s in the offensive coordinator’s lone season at Ohio State. In his final season with the Buckeyes, Henderson totaled 1,016 rushing yards with 10 touchdowns on the ground.
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With the loss of Josh Jacobs, no one from Las Vegas’ backfield came close to replicating his kind of numbers. Instead, Alexander Mattison led the team in rushing yards with just 420 on the season.
There are sprinklings of a great NFL offense present in Vegas with Brock Bowers and Jakobi Meyers. However, the overhaul of offensive talent that DeLeone is suggesting could instantly catapult the Raiders into a top-quality unit.
Rather than take time with the rebuild, it could jumpstart the process to fifth gear if everything goes according to plan.
