The Raiders came out of the draft with another class that gives general manager John Spytek plenty to work with, but training camp will start sorting out who is ready now and who still has a climb ahead.
For first-round quarterback Mendoza, the early test is straightforward: how fast can he pick up Klint Kubiak’s offense, and how well can he handle the jump in speed from college to the NFL? Las Vegas plans to be patient with his development behind veteran Kirk Cousins, so camp should offer the clearest look yet at how far along he is in both areas.
Crawford faces a different kind of adjustment. The physical traits are there, but the leap in talent from the college offensive line game to the pro level is enormous, and that’s the real challenge waiting for him.
Zuhn brings a useful trait to the table because he can line up at every spot on the offensive line. Even so, the Raiders’ starting jobs up front are mostly spoken for, which makes camp important for figuring out where he belongs while Las Vegas tries to strengthen its reserve line options.
McCoy might have the widest range of outcomes of the bunch. His talent isn’t the issue when he’s healthy, but health is the issue.
A top 10 pick sliding to the fourth round because of injury concerns tells the story, and the Raiders passed on him three times before finally taking him. He has not played football in a year, so his health and his return to form are basically the same question right now.
If he’s right, he could speed up the rebuild. If not, it may take a full season for him to catch up.
Washington enters camp with a role to sort out in Kubiak and Janocko’s offense. Kubiak just won a Super Bowl as an offensive coordinator who leaned on two productive running backs, and earlier this offseason he said Ashton Jeanty should get most of the carries this year, similar to Christian McCaffrey.
The Raiders still used a fourth-round pick on Washington one year after taking Jeanty at No. 6 overall, so they clearly have a plan. The question is how he fits into the offense.
On defense, Johnson’s path is less about one specific position and more about how the Raiders want to develop him. Camp will be the place where they decide whether he makes more of an impact on defense or maybe on special teams this season.
Masses is in a similar prove-it spot, though the opening is easier to see. The Raiders need cornerbacks to step up this season, and they also need long-term answers as they keep rebuilding the group. Camp will bring a bunch of different defensive back combinations, and Masses has a chance to climb the depth chart if he can seize it.
Benson may have the quickest route to helping right away, even if it comes on special teams before offense. His speed gives him a chance to change a game as a return man, and the Raiders have been looking for a steady threat in the return game for a while. Camp will show whether he’s ready to grab that job.
Cleveland, meanwhile, is facing the steepest uphill battle of the late-round group. As a seventh-round pick, he has a long way to go just to make the roster, and he’ll need an especially strong camp to earn a spot on the 53-man roster. He still needs time to add the physical development required to hold up as a pro defensive lineman, and with the Raiders’ defensive line group considered arguably the best on the roster, he’ll have to find a way to stand out to the coaching staff.
That’s not all that different from the spot Dylan Laube was in after the Raiders drafted him in the sixth round. The difference is that a running back has more ways to make an impact than an interior defensive lineman, which makes Cleveland’s path that much tougher.
In Other News...
Raiders Fans Just Got A Telling AFC West Camp Reality Check
Training camp across the AFC West is already offering a reminder that the Raiders are not just building their own roster, they are trying to close the gap on a division that never stands still. Denver has a new training facility, Kansas City is juggling staff and personnel questions, and the Chargers are leaning hard into continuity as they get ready for another run, which means Las Vegas has to track more than its own depth chart this summer.
For the Raiders, the early division picture is useful because it shows where the pressure points may be. The Broncos still have some long-term questions up front, the Chiefs are sorting through uncertainty at several spots on both sides of the ball, and the Chargers are banking on healthy key pieces returning to form. None of that settles the AFC West race, but it does give Las Vegas a clearer sense of where the openings might be if it wants to make a move. [Read more 🡒]
These Raiders UDFAs Have A Real Shot To Survive Camp
Training camp has a way of sorting out the long shots from the real contenders, and the Raiders have a few undrafted free agents who already look like they belong in the conversation. Las Vegas brought in 17 UDFAs this offseason, and the early read is that Kansei Matsuzawa, Roman Hemby and Cian Slone each have a plausible route to sticking around if they keep showing up in camp and preseason action.
Matsuzawa may have the cleanest opening because of what he already brings as a kicker, while Hemby and Slone fit the kind of depth-chasing the Raiders need as the roster takes shape. None of those paths are guaranteed, of course, and that is the point of this part of camp: every rep matters, every preseason snap matters, and for a few undrafted players, the next few weeks could decide whether they are still in the building when the final cuts arrive. [Read more 🡒]
Raiders Still Have Two Starting Jobs That Could Change Everything
The Raiders spent most of the offseason settling their depth chart, leaving far fewer questions than they had a few months ago. On offense and defense, the starting picture is largely in place, but the interior of the offensive line is still unsettled enough to matter. Both guard spots remain open heading into training camp, and that makes the next few weeks a real test for a unit that can shape how steady the whole offense looks.
Kevin Kubiak has made it clear the decision will not come down to one flashy practice or a single strong rep. Consistency, versatility, pass protection, run blocking and how well each player fits with the rest of the line all figure into the mix, which is exactly why this battle could linger for a while. The Raiders also have to wait before the physical part of camp really ramps up, so this is the kind of competition that should reveal itself gradually rather than all at once. [Read more 🡒]