Las Vegas Raiders training camp 2022 is officially upon us with a new power tandem in head coach Josh McDaniels and Dave Ziegler leading the charge.
Derek Carr has been extended. Vegas acquired Davante Adams in a blockbuster trade. The team is coming off a surprise playof appearance. Things are looking up in Sin City.
With camp here, let’s preview the Raiders’ summer in Henderson, including some major storylines.
Related: Las Vegas Raiders schedule and game-by-game predictions
Las Vegas Raiders training camp schedule
The Raiders opened training camp on July 18 — earlier than mostly every other team due to its presence in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game. Veterans will report July 20.
Las Vegas Raiders training camp location
Here is the history of where the Raiders have held training camp over the years, via Pro Football Reference.
- 1960-1962: Santa Cruz High School — Santa Cruz, California
- 1963-1984: El Rancho Tropicana — Santa Rosa, California
- 1985-1986: Oxnard Hilton — Oxnard, California
- 1987-1995: Radisson Suite Hotel — Oxnard, California
- 1996-2019: Redwood Middle School — Napa, California
- 2020-2022: Intermountain Healthcare Performance Center — Henderson, Nevada
Related: Las Vegas Raiders’ Derek Carr and NFL’s top QBs
Can you go to Las Vegas Raiders training camp?
When the Raiders held training camp in Napa, it was a rarity for them to have open practices with fans in attendance. With the NFL welcoming back fans last season after the COVID-defined 2020 campaign, that changed. Teams around the NFL held open practices. That will again be the case come July.
Storylines for Las Vegas Raiders training camp
Here are the top storylines and Raiders’ position battles to follow in training camp this summer.
The Davante Adams and Derek Carr connection
Adams and Derek Carr last played together as members of the Fresno State Bulldogs back in 2013. They are now reunited after Las Vegas pulled off a blockbuster trade for the All-Pro wide receiver during the spring.
This familiarity should go a long way in Adams and Carr rekindling their connection from nearly a decade ago. Adams wanted to come to the Raiders. He made sure that’s where he was going to land. The expectations are going to be high for the pair of star teammates. We should see that in full bloom during camp.
The Las Vegas Raiders’ cornerback situation
Vegas seems to have it starting trio of corners in Trayvon Mullen, Nate Hobbs and the recently-acquired Rock Ya-Sin. It’s a vastly improved group from previous iterations under former head coach Jon Gruden and general manager Mike Mayock. But this is in no way etched in stone. In particular, Mullen needs to show more than he did in his first three seasons with the Raiders.
“The good thing about being here is whether you are a veteran [or] a new guy, the first thing we’re preaching is competition. It is good to have veteran guys in there that have done it before, but everybody knows whether you’ve played in the league before or fresh out of college, this is going to be an opportunity because this is a new scheme for everybody.”
New Raiders defensive backs coach back in june, via Raiders.com
Mullen, 24, will likely be competing with free-agent signing Anthony Averett and the recently-signed Chris Jones for a starting gig. Averett came to Vegas from the Baltimore Ravens where he yielded a mere 55% catch rate and 77.5 passer rating a season ago.
As for the slot corner position, a more heralded Amik Robertson is seemingly behind Nate Hobbs on the depth chart. Both have had their struggles in coverage. Should these struggles continue in camp, the door could be left open for a free-agent signing.
No. 4 wide receiver opening
McDaniels and Ziegler saw enough of Bryan Edwards on tape to come to the conclusion that he’s not part of the Raiders’ future. Hence, trading the former third-round pick to the Atlanta Falcons after just two seasons.
This creates somewhat of a hole at wide receiver behind Davante Adams, super slot guy Hunter Renfrow and the recently-signed Demarcus Robinson. Sure Vegas could look at the free-agent market (Odell Beckham Jr.) but there could be answers on the roster.
The Raiders signed Keelan Cole in free agency. He recorded 28 catches for 449 yards with the Jets a season ago. Prior to that, Cole tallied 642 receiving yards and five touchdowns with the Jags in 2020. Fellow vetean Mack Hollins could also figure to be part of the equation. This is a major storyline for Raiders training camp.