{"id":88686,"date":"2025-05-29T19:00:11","date_gmt":"2025-05-29T19:00:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/88686\/"},"modified":"2025-05-29T19:00:11","modified_gmt":"2025-05-29T19:00:11","slug":"is-aj-cole-the-2nd-best-player-on-the-las-vegas-raiders","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/88686\/","title":{"rendered":"Is AJ Cole The 2nd Best Player On The Las Vegas Raiders?"},"content":{"rendered":"

If there\u2019s one thing that the Las Vegas Raiders<\/a> get right on a consistent basis, it\u2019s their punting game. It begs the question, is AJ Cole the second best player on this squad?<\/p>\n

Actually, the question is fundamentally flawed. Why? Well, because it leads to even more difficult conundrum, who\u2019s the best player on this roster? Two names come to mind, defensive end Maxx Crosby and tight end Brock Bowers. Their impact cannot be undersold, when Crosby\u2019s healthy, he\u2019s arguable one of the top five pass rushers in the league. Conversely, Bowers already showed you\u2019d make the case for him being the best at his position already, if not, he\u2019s \u201c1B.\u201d<\/p>\n

However, that\u2019s not what we\u2019re debating here. Who else has the same impact that Cole does on every game<\/a>? You\u2019d be hard-pressed to believe there\u2019s any other player who replicates what he brings on Sundays. There\u2019s a reason that the Raiders made sure to keep him around for the foreseeable future with a new four-year deal worth upwards of $16 million<\/a>. We wouldn\u2019t blame you if you felt that was a ridiculous amount for a player that just kicks the ball in the air. Nonetheless, it goes beyond that.<\/p>\n

The numbers don\u2019t lie for Raiders P AJ Cole\u2026<\/p>\n

The accolades speak for themselves<\/a> and as of this season, no one on this Raiders team comes close (except maybe Crosby). We\u2019re talking about a three-time Pro Bowler who also has two First Team All-Pro nods. Can you name anyone else that\u2019s consistently been one of the best at his position for this long on the current Raiders? Cole\u2019s finished in the top five for yards per punt the last four years. In fact, he was tops back in 2021 when his kicks averaged 50 yards.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re wondering why all of this matters or why Cole is without a doubt the second-best player on this team, there\u2019s one more stat to consider. Cole pinned opponents inside of their 20-yard line a whopping 27 times, that\u2019s simply nasty. Needless to say, Cole is on the Mt. Rushmore of punters for the Silver and Black<\/a>, Ray Guy is undoubtedly smiling somewhere.<\/p>\n

*Top Photo: Steve Marcus\/Las Vegas Sun<\/p>\n

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