The Las Vegas Raiders could see New England Patriots-level success, and it could happen faster than you think. The Raiders secured the No. 1 overall pick on Sunday despite beating the Chiefs 14-12. The Giants' win over the Cowboys at 1:00 pm ensured the Raiders would be on the clock before they even kicked off, giving fans something to be excited about this offseason.
The Raiders have a solid core of players, and could be considered one of the better worst teams in recent memory. Brock Bowers, Ashton Jeanty, and Kolton Miller are all mainstays on the offense, while Maxx Crosby is under contract next season and could be used as trade bait.
Aside from Jeanty, the Raiders also made four picks inside the top 100 last year, giving them a young crop of players to work with.
Despite Pete Carroll and company beating New England in Week 1, they'd go 1-14 in their next 15 games and finish the season just 3-14. The 74-year-old is likely gone, and partial owner Tom Brady may try to turn Las Vegas into Patriots West with a certain replacement.
Brian Flores and Brian Daboll could be a part of the new Raiders staff
The Raiders will be in the market for a new staff, and it will no doubt be a sought-after job. The No. 1 pick, several legitimate pieces on offense, and five top-100 draft picks who will be entering their second year are a solid canvas for a new coach.
Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk believes that Brady running the show could lead the Raiders to consider a pair of his former coaches: "As the chatter goes, [Brian] Flores would be the head coach, and former Giants coach Brian Daboll would be the offensive coordinator."
Flores is the defensive coordinator of the Minnesota Vikings, but spent 2008-2018 with the New England Patriots as a defensive coach, eventually working his way up to defensive coordinator before being hired as the head coach of the Miami Dolphins. He went 24-25 with Miami before being fired.
He spent 2022 with the Steelers as the linebackers coach before joining the Vikings as their DC the next season.
When Flores took over in Minnesota, the Vikings' defense ranked 30th in the league in PPG. Over the next three seasons, they climbed to 12th, then 4th, and this year ranked 7th. Role players like Andrew Van Ginkel and Josh Metellus have become stars under Flores.
Daboll, on the other hand, was recently fired as the New York Giants ' head coach. Just three years ago, he was praised as one of the league's best new coaches after winning Coach of the Year and leading the Giants to a playoff berth and a wildcard win over the 13-win Vikings.
An offense that centered around Daniel Jones in 2021 would be the second-worst in football, scoring just 15.2 PPG, but would move all the way up to 18th in Daboll's first year. Jones's regression and eventual release would lead to Daboll's firing, but Jaxson Dart's early success was a testament to Daboll's ability as a QB whisperer.
He also worked with a young Josh Allen, who saw tremendous success in his third year as a pro after inconsistent rookie and sophomore seasons.
This season, the Raiders ranked last offensively and 25th defensively. Flores' defensive acumen would likely see the defense jump up a few pegs, while Daboll and likely No. 1 pick Fernando Mendoza could catapult the offense to new heights in 2026. Time will tell, but Patriots West would be a fascinating project.