5 breakout stars to watch for Las Vegas Raiders in 2020

There were strides made this past season by the Silver and Black. So which five players are sure bets to break out for the Las Vegas Raiders this year?

Just Sin, Baby?

It’s another new home for the Silver and Black as the Raiders are now denizens of Las Vegas. Now it will be interesting to see if a new city and some progress made it 2019 can catapult this team back to its winning ways earlier this century.

The numbers are ugly but certainly bear repeating. Since 2003, this franchise owns a 92-120 regular-season win-loss record the past 17 seasons. That includes only one winning campaign and that came in 2016, when the club finished 12-4 and earned a wild card berth. The past three seasons, the club owns a 17-31 win-loss mark. But a year ago, in head coach Jon Gruden’s second year in his second chapter with the organization, the club actually owned a 6-4 record after 10 games and were clearly in the postseason hunt.

But it wasn’t meant to be as the club dropped five of its final six contests. But there’s some and intriguing players on this team. So could step up this upcoming season?

5. T Kolton Miller

Last offseason, the Raiders wrote a big check and gave it to free-agent blocker Trent Brown, who spent the 2018 season at left tackle for the eventual Super Bowl champion New England Patriots. It was thought his move to the Silver and Black would put him at the same position.

But in April of ‘18, Jon Gruden used the 15th-overall pick in the draft to select UCLA tackle Kolton Miller. And when it was all said and done, the plan was to leave the former Bruin on the left side and install on the right side.

After a shaky rookie campaign, Miller began to show signs of progress this past fall. Via Pro Football Focus (subscription required), his grade this past season (64.9) was considerably better than his debut year (49.2). Is he ready to make another big leap? He will if he can improve as a run-blocker.