Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
The Las Vegas Raiders have gone through a week of training camp practices at the Jack Hammett Complex in Costa Mesa, California. Already, beat reporters have spotted a few standouts, highlighted some concerns, and drew some intriguing responses from head coach Antonio Pierce during press conferences.
Las Vegas is a little more than a week away from the start of the preseason, which will be a deciding factor in most of the position battles. So, we’ll get an early start on roster predictions following the first week of training camp.
Who will win key battles? Which players could be on the roster bubble before the final cuts on August 27? Will we see a few unheralded names make the initial 53-man depth chart?
Here are five predictions.
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Head coach Antonio Pierce told reporters that he wants to see one of his quarterbacks stand out to claim the starting job.
“I’d like to see somebody just take it and say, ‘I’m the guy, AP!’ and make it clear and evident,” Pierce said. “And then we’ll make that decision at that point.”
Pierce may not see much separation in the quarterback battle until the preseason in live action against other teams.
Last year, Aidan O’Connell had a string of impressive preseason performances, throwing for 482 yards and three touchdowns with a 69.4 percent completion rate, according to Pro Football Focus.
However, Gardner Minshew’s ability to extend plays should shine in preseason play, giving him a shot at winning the starting position. That said, the six-year veteran may have to look significantly better than O’Connell to take the job.
Thus far, the Raiders offense has struggled against its own defense, which could be one of the league’s top units. In a close battle, O’Connell will likely keep the job by default as the incumbent, but he has the ability to build on a strong finish from the previous season in a less complex offense against vanilla defenses.
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Thus far, the Raiders haven’t signed a veteran cornerback to battle with Jakorian Bennett, Brandon Facyson, Decamerion Richardson, and M.J. Devonshire.
The Athletic’s Tashan Reed noted that Bennett has been one of the standouts at training camp.
“After losing his starting job last season due to injury and poor performance, the second-year player has had a strong training camp and looks to be on his way to reclaiming it,” Reed wrote.
Perhaps general manager Tom Telesco sees Bennett’s growth and hopes it translates in game situations, starting with the preseason.
In sports, talent evaluators are typically drawn to physical tools and upside. Bennett checks both boxes, and he’s going against Facyson, who turns 30 years old on September 8, the day that Las Vegas opens the season against the Los Angeles Chargers.
Bennett, 23, will likely get at least one more shot to be a boundary starter before Telesco has a wandering eye for a veteran cornerback. Behind a high-level defensive line, he should be able to handle his coverage assignments and make plays in the secondary.
Bennett starts Week 1, but he can’t get too comfortable with two rookies, Richardson and Devonshire, who may also make the initial 53-man roster behind him on the depth chart.
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Dylan Laube may be the biggest star of the Raiders’ training camp. Through the first week of practices, he’s shown his playmaking ability in the passing game.
Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal noted that Laube has taken first-down reps in third-down situations.
Through five collegiate terms at New Hampshire, Laube racked up 2,773 yards on five yards per carry. He also caught 171 passes for 1,791 yards and 14 touchdowns.
Laube seems like the ideal fit for the lead third-down pass-catching role. If he continues his strong offseason showing in the preseason, the Raiders may feel comfortable about bumping 31-year-old Ameer Abdullah down on the running back depth chart and using him specifically on special teams.
As a rookie sixth-rounder, Laube will also have to contribute on special teams, which raises concerns about Abdullah’s roster security if the first-year running back looks impressive over the next few weeks.
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This offseason, Las Vegas lost Amik Robertson and Tyler Hall in free agency–two cornerbacks who can play the nickel role if Nate Hobbs misses time. Keep in mind that Hobbs has sat out 10 games over the last two years because of injuries.
Without Robertson and Hall, the Raiders need someone to emerge as Hobbs’ backup. They have some unproven options in Sam Webb, rookie fourth-rounder Decamerion Richardson and rookie seventh-rounder M.J. Devonshire, who have mostly lined up on the boundary during their collegiate careers.
Telesco could sign a veteran nickelback. Chandon Sullivan and K’Waun Williams are still available on the free-agent market.
The Raiders can also go with an in-house dark-horse option in Isaiah Pola-Mao, who may have the position versatility to give the defense a big nickel look with three safeties on the field.
At 6-4, 205 pounds, Pola-Mao could be a matchup defender capable of lining up in the box to supplement the run on early downs and using his coverage skills to cover pass-catching tight ends.
Last year, Pola-Mao recorded an interception in the second preseason game and another one in Week 11 of the previous campaign against the Miami Dolphins. While one can debate the degree of difficulty on these takeaways, in limited action, Pola-Mao has been in the right place at the right time to make plays.
Pola-Mao may just need a chance to get on the field to fully showcase his skill set. After two years on and off the active roster, he might have garnered enough trust to carve out a rotational role in the secondary.
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The Raiders’ wide receiver group lost veteran depth when Michael Gallup decided to retire before the start of training camp. His announcement surprised general manager Tom Telesco. Jaylen Guyton has been on the physically unable to perform list.
With Guyton on the mend, fringe roster guys can make names for themselves behind the top three receivers, Davante Adams, Jakobi Meyers, and Tre Tucker.
Turner has floated between the practice squad and the active roster since the 2021 campaign. When active, he’s made contributions on special teams, including kick and punt returns.
Because of the new kickoff rules and less depth at wide receiver than the team expected, Turner has a shot to cement a spot on the 53-man roster.
Even if Guyton returns, Turner could be in a battle with Kristian Wilkerson, Keelan Doss and a trio of undrafted rookies (Tulu Griffin, Ramel Keyton, and Jeff Foreman) for the fifth wide receiver spot. Turner’s experience with the team should work in his favor.
Maurice Moton covers the Las Vegas Raiders for Sportsnaut. You can follow him on Twitter at @MoeMoton.
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