Raiders' Top Players to Prioritize in 2022 NFL Free Agency

The Las Vegas Raiders are coming off a season in which they qualified for the playoffs under less than ideal circumstances, and there's pressure to get better in 2022.

The unpredictable 2021 campaign included a midseason coaching change, Henry Ruggs III's release and a 1-5 stretch between November and December. Yet they persisted and got into the postseason.

And getting back there got a little bit tougher Tuesday, when the AFC West rival Denver Broncos swung a trade that will land them quarterback Russell Wilson, pending physicals for the players involved in the trade, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.

That ups the ante for the Raiders. Their free-agency decisions will be even more important now that the division has become a bona fide arms race.

Armed with $21.5 million in cap space and the ability to get to up to $59.5 million through simple restructures, per Over the Cap, here are the top players they should be considering with their free-agent dollars.

Lost in the excitement of the Aaron Rodgers and Russell Wilson news was the franchise-tag deadline. Tuesday was the last day teams were allowed to designate a player for the franchise tag.

Most importantly for the Raiders, that deadline came and went without the New England Patriots utilizing the tag to keep J.C. Jackson on their roster.

The corner is one of the most productive in the league. He has held opposing passers to a 46.3 passer rating and picked off 24 passes since 2019. And he is set to hit the open market at just 26.

The market for the corner figures to be fierce. Mike Giardi of NFL Network reported Jackson is looking for "Jalen Ramsey money." In 2020, the Los Angeles Rams corner signed a contract worth $100 million over five years with $71.2 million guaranteed.

With head coach Josh McDaniels and new general manager Dave Ziegler arriving in Las Vegas from New England, they are familiar with what Jackson can bring to the Raiders defense. Now that the team is slated to see Patrick Mahomes, Justin Herbert and Russell Wilson six times a year, making a serious investment in the secondary would be wise.

The Raiders offensive line was a mess last season. After finishing 28th in PFF's final offensive line rankings, nobody outside of Kolton Miller should feel confident that they will have their job back next season.

The team can't just look to the draft to fix the issue. Las Vegas should be looking to address at least one spot through free agency, and Laken Tomlinson would be a dream signing.

Tomlinson is coming off a Pro Bowl season, but the biggest thing he would bring to the line is consistency. The 30-year-old hasn't missed a game for the San Francisco 49ers over the past four seasons, and he graded out as PFF's 13th-best guard last season.

That's a massive upgrade over what John Simpson brought to the table last season. He registered a 52.6 grade from PFF across more than 1,100 snaps last season.

Tomlinson recently turned 30, but an interior offensive lineman with his game can play well into his 30s. His experience, durability and consistency would be big in rebuilding the unit.

This one is all about raising the floor of the offensive line.

The right tackle spot was a thorn in the side of the offense as a whole last year. Alex Leatherwood was drafted to take over the spot, but he couldn't get it done in his rookie campaign and was kicked inside to guard while Brandon Parker was given right tackle duties. He was routinely beaten and gave up eight sacks on 881 snaps, per PFF.

With a new regime in place, Leatherwood's future is uncertain. They could look to move him back outside and give him another crack at being a tackle. But they could also decide to turn to the draft to pick another prospect to pair with Miller on the outside.

Either way, the Raiders should be looking to someone who will ensure the tackle spot isn't a disaster. Morgan Moses fits that bill. He earned a 71.0 grade from PFF while giving up just four sacks for the New York Jets last season.