Things did not go how the Las Vegas Raiders planned in Josh McDaniels' first year as head coach. Heading into year two of his tenure, the Raiders are focused on improving their porous 6-11 record.

Las Vegas has made numerous major changes to their regime this offseason. Longtime quarterback Derek Carr now plays for the New Orleans Saints. Standout tight end Darren Waller was traded to the New York Giants. The Raiders are set to look much different on offense.

To replace Carr, the Raiders brought in veteran former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. Las Vegas is hoping their new QB can stay healthy and help the team get over their playoff hump.

Plenty of more things would need to break in the Raiders' favor for a true playoff run. However, these three underrated players should help Las Vegas get back on the map in 2023.

Aidan O'Connell 

Garoppolo signed a three-year, $72.75 million contract. As long as he is healthy, he will be the Raiders starting quarterback. However, Garoppolo has started his tenure off with injury questions. Looming foot injury issues put his long-term health into doubt.

If Garoppolo were to truly miss time, the Raiders have Brian Hoyer ready to come in. However, if Las Vegas is serious about winning, rookie Aidan O'Connell gives the team a much greater chance of success over Hoyer.

The Raiders drafted O'Connell in the fourth-round of this year's draft with the No. 135 overall pick. He comes to Vegas after spending four years at Purdue, where he appeared in 33 games. O'Connell threw for 9,219 yards, 65 touchdowns and 30 interceptions. He was twice a second-time All-Big Ten nominee with the Boilermakers.

Las Vegas is looking for answers as they begin life after Carr. The answer right now is Garoppolo. But if his injury pop back up, O'Connell could shine in the pocket for the Raiders.

Tre Tucker 

Tre Tucker went one round earlier with the No. 100 overall pick. No matter who is under center, Tucker has the look of a receiver who can make an immediate impact.

Obviously, Davante Adams will be the Raiders WR1. Las Vegas paid Jakobi Meyers $33 million over three years to play Robin to his Batman. However, Hunter Renfrow seems to be the piece that doesn't fit. Renfrow struggled to mesh in McDaniels' new system, catching just 36 passes for 330 yards and two touchdowns.

Enter Tucker. In his four years at Cincinnati, Tucker caught 111 passes for 1,426 yards and eight touchdowns. He saved his best for his senior season where Tucker set new career-highs in receptions (52) and yards (672) while tying his career-best in TDs (3).

Renfrow will likely open the season as the starter in the slot. But Las Vegas clearly thinks highly of Tucker after using a top 100 draft pick on him. A strong training camp could have Tucker in a position for a strong rookie output.

Zamir White

The Raiders are planning to have Josh Jacobs as their starting running back this season. However, he has yet to sign his franchise tag tenure. Las Vegas will be looking for a running back to fill his role while he's gone and to backup Jacobs if the sides can come to an agreement. Zamir White is the perfect man for the job.

White joined the Raiders as fourth-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. As a rookie, White didn't get much run, touching the ball just 17 times. However, as a rookie, White should get a much bigger opportunity to succeed.

In front of him are veterans such as Ameer Abdullah and Brandon Bolden. Both have NFL experience, but don't open many eyes as a playmaker. White was a star at Georgia, running for 2,043 yards and 25 touchdowns over three seasons.

Whether Jacobs signs a long-term deal or not, Las Vegas needs as much of an offensive spark as possible. After a quiet freshman season, White is in a position to break out in year two.