Las Vegas Raiders 3 best offseason additions in 2022

The franchise comes off its first playoff appearance in 2016. But it was another offseason of numerous changes for the Las Vegas Raiders.

It’s now close to four decades since the Silver and Black hoisted a Lombardi Trophy. The season was 1983 and the then-Los Angeles Raiders capped off a 12-4 season with a 38-9 rout of then-defending Super Bowl champion Washington in Tampa.

Let’s fast forward roughly 20 years later to when the organization reached the Super Bowl in 2002. They would fall to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in San Diego. But that was the last season that the Raiders actually won a playoff contest, defeating the Tennessee Titans in the AFC Championship Game.

There were quite a few distractions in 2021. But the club managed to survive all that turmoil and make its way to the postseason. But there’s a new regime in Sin City in general manager Dave Ziegler and head coach Josh McDaniels. And the Raiders may have struck gold with these three offseason pickups.

Las Vegas Raiders top offseason pickup no. 3: CB Rock Ya-Sin (Indianapolis Colts via trade)

Defense has been an issue for this franchise for more than a decade. The Raiders allowed more points (439) than they scored (374) this past season. The club surrendered 47 offensive touchdowns in 17 regular-season contests, including 29 through the air. And talk about struggling down the stretch? The team allowed a disturbing 177 points in the fourth quarter and overtime in 2021.

Three-year cornerback Rock Ya-Sin was obtained in the trade with the Colts that sent defensive end Yannick Ngakoue to Indianapolis. The 2019 second-round pick from Temple University has totaled four takeaways, a pair of forced fumbles, and 20 passes defended in three seasons.