Raiders offense must be more productive in red zone

In spite of scoring the 10th-most points in the NFL last year, the Raiders had a major to-do list on that side of the ball this offseason.

The goals were to create more efficiency, push a couple of youngsters to higher levels and get younger and more cost-effective on the offensive line.

The Raiders accomplished the offensive line objective, trading away high-priced veterans Trent Brown, Gabe Jackson and Rodney Hudson and replacing them with younger, more cost-controlled options in Alex Leatherwood, Denzelle Good and Andre James.

As far as improving efficiency and getting young wide receivers Henry Ruggs and Bryan Edwards to the next level, that remains to be seen.

Improved efficiency is predicated on the rebuilt offensive line being more effective in the red zone, where the Raiders ranked 23rd in touchdown percentage. The Raiders also will need newcomer Kenyan Drake to add some expected versatility in that part of the field and on Edwards and Ruggs becoming more consistent weapons.

If so, Raiders quarterback Derek Carr will be in a much better position to turn more trips to the red zone into touchdowns rather than settling for field goals.

The pressure on James, who spent two seasons as Hudson’s understudy, and Leatherwood, a rookie from Alabama, is real. Both need to hit the ground running to better guarantee that the Raiders can at least duplicate last year’s point total.

Drake could be a perfect complement to Josh Jacobs, who has produced two straight 1,000-yard rushing seasons to start his career but also has dealt with injuries each year. He saw a dip in his yards-per-carry average from 4.3 as a rookie to 3.9 in his second year.

Darren Waller, who had 107 catches for 1,196 yards and nine touchdowns last year, is the Raiders’ obvious best weapon. But he needs help, which is where Hunter Renfrow, Edwards and Ruggs come into play.

Ruggs was tasked with getting stronger, more explosive and refining his game after an up-and-down rookie year. While he looks bigger and more polished, the true test will come when the season starts.

Injuries limited Edwards during his rookie season last year, but fully healthy, he is a big, fast, versatile target and could emerge in a big way.

Both have to take major steps forward, not just to justify their draft positions, but to round out an offense that can’t rely solely on Waller as the top weapon week in and week out.

Contact Vincent Bonsignore at vbonsignore@reviewjournal.com. Follow @VinnyBonsignore on Twitter.