On Sunday, Las Vegas Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce announced that Gardner Minshew will be the starting quarterback for Week 1, ending the team’s biggest position battle.
With final roster cuts coming up on August 27, the Raiders still have to make key decisions.
Coming into the offseason, Las Vegas needed someone to step up in the No. 2 cornerback spot opposite Jack Jones.
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The Raiders may have an emerging starter at right tackle who can challenge Thayer Munford Jr.
Based on the team’s inability to stop the run in preseason action, the third linebacker in a base defense may have a sizeable role in the regular season.
Let’s examine the Raiders’ top three remaining position battles in the lead-up to their final preseason game against the San Francisco 49ers.
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Right tackle
Initially, Thayer Munford Jr. seemed like a lock to start at right tackle.
Last season, Munford split starting right tackle duties with Jermaine Eluemunor. He also filled in well for left tackle Kolton Miller at the end of the campaign.
Eluemunor signed with the New York Giants in free agency, but rookie third-rounder DJ Glaze has looked impressive at camp and in exhibition games, particularly last week.
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According to Pro Football Focus, Glaze has allowed one sack and two pressures while Munford has allowed four pressures in the preseason.
Munford has suffered injuries to both hands during practices, which limited his reps in recent weeks, allowing Glaze to shine with the starting offensive line.
If Munford is close to 100 percent before Week 1, he’ll likely hold on to the starting job.
However, the Raiders may prefer Glaze if Munford is banged up or struggling to stay on the practice field.
Also, keep in mind that Miller’s absence may require Munford to play on the left side, opening up a spot for Glaze on the right side.
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No. 2 Cornerback
Because of Amik Robertson’s departure in free agency, the Raiders need to fill a vacancy at cornerback on the boundary.
The Raiders didn’t sign a notable veteran. However, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 in Houston, they did show interest in Steven Nelson before he retired.
In this year’s draft, general manager Tom Telesco selected Decamerion Richardson and M.J. Devonshire in the fourth and seventh rounds, respectively.
Both rookies have struggled in the preseason.
According to Pro Football Focus, Richardson has allowed a 118.8 passer rating and Devonshire has allowed a perfect 158.3 passer rating in coverage. They’re not ready for regular-season action.
Jakorian Bennett and Brandon Facyson have been the top two contenders for the position, but the latter has missed significant time because of injury and didn’t play a snap in the preseason.
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Fortunately for the Raiders, Bennett has played well enough in the exhibition games to earn the starting job, giving up just one catch for 11 yards on three targets, per Pro Football Focus.
Nonetheless, Telesco should sign a cornerback, perhaps Adoree’ Jackson, because Facyson hasn’t been able to stay healthy over the last two years. The Raiders need to bolster their depth at cornerback.
No. 3 Linebacker
Because a majority of teams play mostly in nickel formation, the third linebacker for base even-man fronts has become a backup player.
Defensive coordinator Patrick Graham may want to deploy more of a traditional base defense against top-tier ground attacks.
In four out of five years as a coordinator, Graham’s run defenses have ranked 19th or worse in rushing yards allowed. The Raiders have finished 19th and 21st against the run on his watch.
Graham doesn’t have to revert to an old-school approach with three linebackers on most downs, but he should increase the role of a third linebacker when opponents gash his defensive front on the ground.
In two preseason games, with starters on the field in the first quarter, Las Vegas has allowed 279 rushing yards, giving up 5.3 yards per carry, and two touchdowns.
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Because rookie fifth-rounder Tommy Eichenberg has missed time during the offseason for undisclosed reasons and hasn’t taken a snap in the preseason, Luke Masterson would likely join Robert Spillane and Divine Deablo in a 4-3 base alignment.
At 6-4, 205 pounds, Isaiah Pola-Mao can be a hybrid defender who helps supplement the run in big nickel formation.
Whether Masterson gets more snaps or Pola-Mao helps out in the box, the Raiders need to figure out how to patch up their run defense before the season opener.
Los Angeles Chargers offensive coordinator Greg Roman has a long history of high-ranking rushing attacks. He may test the Raiders run defense with a heavy dose of J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards.
Maurice Moton covers the Las Vegas Raiders for Sportsnaut. You can follow him on Twitter at @MoeMoton.