Raiders Players Who Won't Live Up to Hype in 2022 Season

The NFL offseason means hope abounds for all 32 franchises.

Each fanbase has had months of roster moves to watch since the Los Angeles Rams hoisted the Lombardi Trophy. It's also easy to get caught up in the hype of imagining your franchise having everything go right over the course of the season.

The Raiders have certainly made some moves to build positive momentum for the 2022 campaign.

The reality is that not everyone lives up to expectations. For the Raiders, that could be a mix of new additions and familiar faces.

Here are three players who might not live up to the hype this season.

Edge Chandler Jones

AP Photo/John Locher

Las Vegas Raiders' Chandler Jones speaks during a news conference at the NFL football team's practice facility Thursday, June 2, 2022, in Henderson, Nev. (AP Photo/John Locher)

The Raiders' approach to the edge defender slot across from Maxx Crosby this offseason was interesting.

The team shipped off Yannick Ngakoue to the Indianapolis Colts in a deal that brought Rock Ya-Sin to Vegas while handing Chandler Jones a massive three-year, $51 million contract in free agency.

On paper, swapping out Ngakoue for Jones is an upgrade. The departing rusher had 10 sacks last season but has only hit double digits twice in his career. Jones racked up 10.5 last season and is two seasons removed from a 19-sack campaign.

However, a closer look at Jones' production last season indicates he may not hit double digits again. Seth Walder of ESPN charted the league's top pass-rush win rates and double team rate:

Jones pass-rush win rate is among the lowest on the chart. Among those with similar pass-rush win rates are Lorenzo Carter, Dawuane Smoot and Emmanuel Ogbah.

None of that trio reached 10 sacks or more. The 32-year-old may be beginning his regression.

TE Darren Waller

Ian Johnson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

CINCINNATI, OH - JANUARY 15: Las Vegas Raiders tight end Darren Waller (83) lines up for a play during the Wild Card game against the Las Vegas Raiders and the Cincinnati Bengals on January 15, 2022, at Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati, OH. (Photo by Ian Johnson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

With Davante Adams joining the fold, the Raiders have a true No. 1 receiver in the offense. For the Green Bay Packers in 2021, Adams had the second most received passes at 123 and the third most received passing yards at 1,553. To an extent, he will be a rising tide that lifts all boats.

Everyone should see more quality targets because of Adams' presence. Defenses will be forced to account for him on every snap drawing attention away from the other pieces in Las Vegas.

It's good news. But there will also be less targets to go around.

Hunter Renfrow had a breakout season last year. The 26-year-old caught over 100 passes and surpassed the 1,000-yard mark for the first time in his third year.

It stands to reason he will continue to get better given his age; he'll be able to make up for any lack of volume in the passing game with better looks and more separation.

The one who could be the odd-man out is Darren Waller. The big tight end has never been all that efficient. He produced at an elite level in 2019 and 2020, but he also saw 117 and 145 targets respectively.

Before injuries and a trip to the COVID list had him out of the lineup in five of the last six games he did not look like the 2019-2020 version of himself. He averaged just 7.2 yards per target and only came down with 59.1 percent of his targets.

That might not have just been a setback. That may just be the new normal. As he takes a back seat to Adams and Renfrow, we might not see another huge season from Waller.

OT Alex Leatherwood

AP Photo/Ron Schwane

Las Vegas Raiders guard Alex Leatherwood (70) plays against the Cleveland Browns during the second half of an NFL football game, Monday, Dec. 20, 2021, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Ron Schwane)

A lot of the Raiders' success in 2022 will hinge on the development of the offensive line.

"Hype" might not be the right word for Alex Leatherwood but there has been some positivity surrounding the second-year lineman. ESPN's Paul Gutierrez reported the Alabama product has spent a lot of time this offseason at right tackle.

That's a positive development. The 17th selection in the 2021 draft was originally picked to be a tackle but had to bump inside after a few starts in which he was clearly the weak link.

The move didn't really stop the bleeding. He still ended the season with 38 blown blocks and 13 penalties, per Sports Info Solutions.

A new coaching staff certainly opens new doors. New offensive line coach Carmen Bricillo was charged with leading the Patriots from 2019 until last season and they finished ninth in PFF's final offensive line rankings.

The coach can only do so much with the raw material he's given though. Leatherwood has a long way to go and relying on him to take the right tackle spot still feels like a recipe for disaster based on his showing last season.