We are taught that there are no moral victories in the NFL and the only true measure of importance for a team's success is their win/loss record. Perhaps that is an outdated way of thinking.
Though the Oakland Raiders fell out of playoff contention during the second half of the season, the organization has to be happy with their 7-9 year. The team took major steps in the right direction on offense and started to see real breakouts from certain players on defense. Derek Carr developed considerably in his second season, showing improved pocket awareness and showcasing a better handle on the blitz. Though his play dipped in the second half, he showed more than enough to convince Raiders brass that he can be a true franchise quarterback one day. On the other side of the ball, second-year linebacker Khalil Mack became an absolute terror in the pass rush. His upside has head coach Jack Del Rio salivating at all the possibilities.
But which of these standout sophomores deserves to be considered Oakland's MVP?
"Khalil Mack," ESPN's Bill Williamson wrote. "He had only four sacks during his rookie season coming out of the University of Buffalo. The learning curve in the NFL is high, but Mack seems to have made a big jump in his sophomore season. He more than tripled his sack total this season with 15, including five in a win at Denver. Mack, a candidate for NFL Defensive Player of the Year, has also been outstanding against the run and was rated by Pro Football Focus as the top edge-run defender by a large margin."
On top of his impressive 15 sacks (which ranked second in the NFL behind J.J. Watt), Mack recorded 77 tackles and two forced fumbles while appearing in all 16 games for the second-straight season. Though Watt or St. Louis' Aaron Donald may have a slightly better candidacy for Defensive Player of the Year, Mack remains one of the most promising young players in the NFL.
That's not to say that Carr fell short of expectations. If anything, he surpassed them this year. Both he and Mack are considered highly valuable building blocks that will help push Oakland back into contention in the near future.
