The AFC West is arguably the toughest division and football, and the Oakland Raiders were at the bottom of it last season. The Chiefs and Chargers both made the playoffs, the Broncos are usually a solid team, and the Raiders are often the team that sits at the tail end of the standings.
This is a completely different Raiders team than we have seen in recent years, being more skilled at almost every position than not only last year, but possibly even the 2016 team. Skill does not always result in wins, but this is a team that has high potential.