Raiders should be improved this season, but by how much?

By acquiring at least five defensive starters in free agency and much needed offensive speed and explosiveness through the draft, the Raiders had a productive offseason.

On paper, at least, they shored up major weaknesses while supplying quarterback Derek Carr with the necessary weaponry to unleash a much more potent offense.

Coupled with the continued development of the deep draft class that arrived in 2019 and an offensive line that improved significantly from 2018 to 2019, the Raiders appear poised to take a dramatic step forward in their first year in Las Vegas.

The question now is, by what criteria should a successful season be measured?

Here are three must-happens for the Raiders to feel good about 2020.

At least two more wins

The Raiders finished 7-9 last year, a three-game improvement from 2018. While it certainly reflected the positive direction the team is headed, there was a tinge of disappointment given they started the season winning six of their first 10 games.

The culprit was a frustrating four-game losing streak that immediately followed their surprising start and sabotaged their playoff hopes.

The late-season tumble revealed pressing personnel issues that needed prompt attention.

The Raiders checked off most of those to-do boxes by adding two of the best linebackers on the free agent market in Cory Littleton and Nick Kwiatkowski, both of whom provide major upgrades in run defense and pass coverage, and veteran cornerback Prince Amukamara, safety Damarious Randall and defensive linemen Maliek Collins and Carl Nassib.

In the draft, they added speedy Alabama wide receiver Henry Ruggs, South Carolina wide receiver Bryan Edwards and do-it-all threat Lynn Bowden from Kentucky.

Coupled with the young core already in place via some shrewd drafting and free agent pickups over the last year or so, the necessary talent is in place to add at least two more wins.

If so, it would mirror the trend Jon Gruden set in his first stint with the Raiders. They made a big step forward in Year Three under him, finishing with a 14-4 record after a pair of 8-8 finishes.

Average more than 25 points per game

The Raiders have not averaged more than 20-points per game for three straight years, and only eight other teams averaged fewer than the 19.6 points they averaged last season.

Making matters significantly more frustrating, the Raiders scored 24 or more points seven times over the first 10 weeks, including six straight from Week 4 through Week 10, only to average 12.5 points per game over the final seven games.

There is no way they can successfully survive another season scoring fewer than 20 points per game, let alone also experience such a severe swing in consistency.

Given the offensive upgrades and how Carr is going into his third straight season in Gruden’s system, there is no excuse for them to not push their scoring average to the 25-point per game mark.

The Raiders’ offense showed definite signs of progress last year, with Carr surpassing the 4,000-yard passing mark for the second straight season, tight end Darren Waller catching 90 passes for 1,145 yards and rookie running back Josh Jacobs rushing for a rookie-record 1,150 yards in just 13 games. A rebuilt offensive line gave up just 29 sacks.

They were seventh in the NFL in third-down conversion percentage and sixth in average yards per drive at 35.5 yards.

The issue was translating yards and production into actual points. The Raiders ranked 22nd in the NFL in red zone touchdown percentage at 52.8 and ranked 19th in touchdowns per drive.

The arrival of Ruggs and Bowden should help. They can expand the Raiders’ options while also being decoys that create more space for other weapons to operate. Ruggs’ speed and separation ability are dynamics that will force opponents to alter how they defend the Raiders and should create confidence in Carr to take more chances downfield.

For those reasons, the offense should be much improved. It isn’t a stretch to think 25-plus points per game is attainable.

Pass defense needs to take big leap

There is nowhere for the Raiders’ pass defense to go but up, as by many metrics it was one of the worst in the NFL. The Raiders ranked 29th out of 32 teams in pass coverage, according to Pro Football Focus, and the 50.8 successful play rate they surrendered on coverage snaps ranked 31st in the NFL.

The problem is, incremental improvement will simply be putting a Band-Aid on an open wound. The Raiders need much more than that.

From a personnel perspective, the upgrades they’ve made at linebacker, defensive line and the secondary should provide needed help and lead to improvement. And the drafting of cornerbacks Damon Arnette and Amik Robertson and linebacker Tanner Muse this year, coupled with 2019 draft picks Maxx Crosby, Travon Mullen, Clelin Ferrell and Johnathan Abraham should make an impact as well.

It would not be a surprise if Arnette, Robertson and Muse are all starting by season’s end.

A better pass rush and tighter pass coverage at linebacker and the secondary will go a long way toward creating real improvement. There is no reason that shouldn’t result in a big move forward in coverage rankings.

Contact Vincent Bonsignore at vbonsignore@reviewjournal.com.

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