The Las Vegas Raiders wrapped up mandatory minicamp last Wednesday. Head coach Antonio Pierce canceled last Thursday’s practice and sent a clear message to players, come back prepared to hit the ground running for training camp.
“We’re not going backward,” Pierce said to reporters via Las Vegas Review-Journal‘s Vincent Bonsignore. “It is on you to come here in the physical shape. It’s on you to be ready mentally and emotionally. But more importantly, understanding the playbook. Because we’re going forward with whoever can understand the playbook.”
On one hand, players will take some time to decompress before summer workouts. Yet coaches want to see progress as they ramp up practices in the next phase of the offseason.
When the Raiders return to work late in July, what encouraging signs could we see in Costa Mesa, California?
Let’s discuss five training camp developments that could significantly boost the team heading into the 2024 season.
Related: Game-by-game predictions for the Las Vegas Raiders season
Las Vegas Raiders Quarterback competition heats up
In order for the Raiders to compete for a playoff spot, they need serviceable quarterback play.
Aidan O’Connell and Gardner Minshew will battle for the starting job after they both served as fill-in starters last year.
Minshew has an edge over O’Connell in playing experience and mobility, though O’Connell has a stronger arm. He’s also more familiar with the team’s playmakers, having suited up for 11 games (10 starts) with the Raiders last year.
But neither established themselves as the front-runner for the lead role.
The Athletic’s Tashan Reed described the Raiders’ quarterback situation as “concerning” and went into detail about Minshew and O’Connell struggling through the spring.
“Both Aidan O’Connell and Gardner Minshew struggled during OTAs. They split snaps with the first string fairly evenly, but neither found much success during the practices that were open to reporters. The quarterbacks (and the rest of the offense) are still in the early stages of getting comfortable in coordinator Luke Getsy’s offense.”
As one would expect, the Raiders experimented with new offensive concepts, which resulted in out-of-sync practices for the unit.
Also, remember that the defense has continuity with Patrick Graham, who is in his third season with the team.
The Raiders’ defense, which ranked ninth in scoring last year and welcomed defensive tackle Christian Wilkins via free agency, should be light years ahead of an offense with a new play-caller.
However, Minshew and O’Connell will need to show signs of improvement in the summer, or the Raiders may fail to meet Pierce’s expectation of consistently scoring at least 24 points in games.
Related: 3 key positions the Las Vegas Raiders could address this summer
Left side of offensive line comes to camp fully healthy
The Raiders made a tweak to the interior of their offensive line, moving Dylan Parham to the right side and inserting rookie second-rounder Jackson Powers-Johnson into the mix for the starting spot at left guard.
According to The Athletic’s Tashan Reed, Powers missed some time because of a shoulder injury.
Offensive line coach James Cregg still liked what he saw from the rookie in a small sample size.
“He’s actually a really good pass protector,” Cregg said to reporters. “He’s out there now, but I wish we could’ve spent more time with him. We’ll catch up during training camp. He’s a really, really bright kid. He understands it. He catches on quickly. … We’ve just got to get him in the process of doing our offense. Our offense takes a lot of reps to master as far as technique goes.”
While Powers-Johnson has a good chance to win the starting job at left guard, he still has the earn the position over a couple of experienced veterans, Cody Whitehair, who’s played under offensive coordinator Luke Getsy, and Andrus Peat.
Kolton Miller missed four games between November and December last season because of a shoulder injury. He missed practices while recovering from shoulder surgery.
Miller is the longest-tenured veteran on the Raiders offensive line. Even though the Raiders have depth at left tackle with Peat on the roster, he’s a key cog for a group that may need to protect Aidan O’Connell who isn’t evasive in the pocket.
O’Connell took 11 sacks in his last five games. With the Indianapolis Colts last year, Minshew also had trouble getting the ball out, taking three or more sacks in seven of his 13 starts.
Tyree Wilson shows signs of a second-year breakout for Las Vegas Raiders
The Raiders selected Tyree Wilson with the No. 7 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, and he went into his first NFL offseason on the mend from foot surgery.
Wilson didn’t show flashes until midway through his rookie term, logging his first sack against the Chicago Bears in Week 7.
This year, Wilson could have a full offseason while taking cues from Maxx Crosby and newcomer Christian Wilkins.
Though Wilson will line up primarily as an edge-rusher in a rotation behind Crosby and Malcolm Koonce, he could see occasional looks on the interior in sub-packages and third-and-long situations.
Wilson’s second-year leap could look similar to Koonce’s third-year breakout if everything starts to click for the 6-6, 275-pounder in the summer.
Related: A look at the Las Vegas Raiders QB competition
Jakorian Bennett takes over the starting job
The Raiders’ starting cornerback spot on the boundary opposite of Jack Jones is the biggest position battle on the defensive side of the ball.
Seventh-year veteran Brandon Facyson and second-year pro Jakorian Bennett are the top two candidates for the job.
Rookies Decamerion Richardson and M.J. Devonshire are the dark-horse competitors who can close the gap on Facyson and Bennett at camp.
The Athletic’s Tashan Reed noted that Facyson took most of the first-team reps in the spring.
Turning 30 in September, Facyson would be a short-term Band-Aid on a position of need. If Bennett wins the battle, he could lock down the perimeter with Jones for multiple years with Nate Hobbs in the slot.
Don’t count out Richardson and Devonshire, but like Bennett last year, the two rookie cornerbacks could go through some rough stretches in a learning experience.
Bennett has had a taste of NFL action, and if he’s learned from his mistakes and stays healthy, general manager Tom Telesco won’t need to add veteran insurance at the position.
Keep in mind the Raiders checked in with cornerback Steven Nelson before he retired, per Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 in Houston.
Isaiah Pola-Mao carves out a notable defensive role
Last year, the Raiders fielded a stout defense, but a true playmaking X-factor can elevate this unit to another level.
At 6-4, 205 pounds, Isaiah Pola-Mao could be the wild-card defender who lines up in different spots and takes on a variety of assignments ranging from stopping the run on early downs to matching up against tight ends in coverage.
In two years with the Raiders, Pola-Mao has quietly developed a knack for finding the ball in the preseason and in a very limited role in the regular season.
A core special-teamer, Pola-Mao has played less than 13 percent of the defensive snaps in his first two seasons with the team, but he’s logged 40 tackles, three for loss, two sacks, a pass breakup and an interception.
Pola-Mao has played 210 defensive snaps in his career. For perspective, Maxx Crosby plays about the same number of snaps in a three-week span.
Pola-Mao may have an opportunity to shine in the upcoming campaign though. Senior defensive assistant Rob Ryan told reporters they “better watch out” for the big safety.
Perhaps Patrick Graham uses Pola-Mao as a situation-based defender who can line up at either safety spot, in the slot or at linebacker. He could be the Raiders’ best-kept secret on the defensive side of the ball.
Maurice Moton covers the Las Vegas Raiders for Sportsnaut. You can follow him on Twitter at @MoeMoton.