The Las Vegas Raiders look primed to have one of the best defenses in the NFL this season after a 2023 campaign in which the unit was one of the better ones in the league.
However, Pro Football Focus' Nathan Jahnke apparently doesn't see it that way, as he has the Raiders' D/ST as the No. 17 group in his fantasy football rankings going into the 2024 campaign.
Jahnke did not provide a write-up to explain his rankings, but we wouldn't be trying to hear it, anyway. That ranking is far too low for multiple reasons and there is no defending it.
According to Fantasy Pros, the Raiders had the No. 7 overall D/ST in 2023, falling behind only the Dallas Cowboys, Baltimore Ravens, Buffalo Bills, New York Jets, Cleveland Browns and Miami Dolphins.
Las Vegas is set to return all of that same group, plus free-agent acquisition Christian Wilkins, who will provide a massive upgrade upfront as a pass-rusher. He'll also take pressure off Maxx Crosby, which could propel him to a career-best mark in sacks.
Adding to that, the Raiders will have their best cornerback, Jack Jones, for an entire season after he played in just seven games for Las Vegas last season once he was claimed off waivers.
At the very least, the Raiders will be as good as they were defensively last season. But you can definitely make an argument this group will be even better than it was during the 2024 campaign, which makes Jahnke's ranking even more egregious.
