With the 2024 NFL Draft in the rearview, teams like the Las Vegas Raiders are now preparing for the next phase, which is the start of OTAs.
Including the start of NFL free agency and their eight draft picks, the Raiders have filled out a majority of their 90-man offseason roster. But that doesn't mean there won't be plenty of tweaks along the way, with possible additions or subtractions. If the team were to look at the available veteran free-agent market, they have a little over $21.7 million, with an additional coming their way after June 2 when Jimmy Garoppolo is off the books, according to OverTheCap.
The Raiders have already been pretty active post the 2024 NFL Draft by signing free agent wide receiver Michael Gallup. That doesn't mean that they're done, however, or that another helpful addition wouldn't help their chances this upcoming season. So, let's look at three free agents the Raiders must target after the 2024 NFL Draft.
Stephon Gilmore, CB
The Raiders missed out on some of the top cornerbacks in this year's draft, choosing not to select one until the fourth round in Mississippi State's Decamerion Richardson. They later followed that up with MJ Devonshire out of Pittsburgh in the seventh round. Both of these guys are going to likely need to develop and won't be Day 1 starters, meaning that Las Vegas could use some veteran leadership on the backend of their defense.
Amik Robertson and Tyler Hall were both lost to free agency, leaving Jack Jones, Nate Hobbs, and last year's fourth-round pick Jakorian Bennett to occupy the corner positions. Combined, that's only 40 starts between the three, with Hobbs having a majority those with 31. That makes Stephon Gilmore, soon-to-be 34-years-old, a perfect target for the Raiders.
Entering what will be his 13th season, Gilmore is still highly productive. He's coming off a season where he started in all 17 games where he had two interceptions, 13 pass deflections, one forced fumble, and 68 total tackles, according to Pro-Football-Reference. He's been working on one-year deals the past three seasons, so if he's not opposed to another, this would be a great fit for Las Vegas.
Xavien Howard, CB
Of course, if we want to stick with the same position, then former Miami Dolphins cornerback Xavien Howard would also be an excellent target for the Raiders, as he's still one of the best free agents still available.
Howard would be a younger version of Gilmore, as he'll be just 31 this season. But there is possibly a concern about production and recent injury history, which likely went hand-in-hand last season. Howard dealt with a foot injury most of last season that ended up eventually costing him four games. He allowed his second-to-worst target completion percentage of his career (62.9%) but gave up just one touchdown.
Ryan Tannehill, QB
Is Antonio Pierce truly set on a quarterback battle between Gardner Minshew and Aidan O'Connell? Minshew was productive for the Indianapolis Colts under Shane Steichen last season, and O'Connell was okay for the Raiders last year, but neither one feels like they're going to rack up a lot of wins. Granted, this isn't by any means a season where the Raiders are going to compete. However, to at least provide some hope to what feels like a hopeless fanbase at this point, putting a proven starter on the field like Ryan Tannehill, even if he is on his last legs, could ease the season.
Injuries held Tannehill to only 10 games last season. It also allowed the Tennessee Titans to trot out their second-round rookie quarterback Will Levis, who took over as starter. At 35, Tannehill is definitely in the twilight of his career, but he could be a nice short-term option for the Raiders.
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