Oakland Raiders: 3 Bubble Players That Deserve Roster Spots

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The upcoming NFL preseason is as much about starters regaining their game-speed ability as it about filling out those final roster spots.

First-year head coach Dennis Allen will undoubtedly have many difficult decisions during the process of trimming the Oakland Raiders roster down to 53 guys.

The following are three "bubble" players who need to have strong preseason showings in an effort to earn one of those last roster spots.

Christo Bilukidi

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Christo Bilukidi, a defensive tackle out of Georgia State, was the Raiders' sixth-round selection last April in the draft.

At 6'5'', 310 pounds, Bilukidi certainly has the size of a defensive tackle. Pair that with his 4.9-second 40-yard dash at the NFL combine, and he appears to be a good project that could hopefully be transformed in to an every-down defensive lineman.

Bilukidi could learn a lot from a player like Richard Seymour, making his roster selection even more worthwhile.

Bilukidi looked like a man amongst boys in the Colonial Athletic Association. Time to see how he matches up against players his own size.

Kaelin Burnett

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Kaelin Burnett, who went undrafted in April, was signed by the Raiders in early May.

A linebacker out of the University of Nevada, Burnett is a natural pass-rusher. So much so that he moved to defensive end his senior year, where he recorded 51 tackles, 11 tackles for loss and five sacks.

Burnett is a pass-rushing linebacker who could be useful in blitz packages. Look for him to make an early impact in pass-rushing scenarios during the preseason.

Ed Wang

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Ed Wang, who played six games for the Buffalo Bills in 2010, was signed in the offseason by the Raiders.

At 6'5'', 315 pounds, Wang was the first-ever Chinese-American drafted into the league in 2010. After suffering a thumb injury that resulted in the Bills waiving him, Wang is out to prove himself.

With a couple backup positions available, Wang could squeeze onto the roster because of his flexibility to play multiple offensive line positions.