Oakland Raiders Who've Turned Heads in Offseason Workouts

Three weeks of organized team activities have concluded, and the Oakland Raiders are setting up for a mandatory minicamp in the upcoming week before a bit of a layoff.

No pads, no real heated competition, but skills are on display during these team activities. Coaches want to see players absorb the playbook and execute the basics as a foundation to a productive offseason.

Who has impressed in the first three weeks? Who’s making an early case in their positional battles? We’ll go through all the juicy details coming out of Alameda, California.

Amari Cooper

Jeff Chiu/Associated Press

I guess polished isn’t the new boring. Wide receiver Amari Cooper is apparently an eight-year veteran trapped inside the body of a 20-year old rookie. He’s not old enough to buy his own alcoholic beverage, but he’s leading the Raiders' WR corps by a long shot.

ESPN’s Adam Caplan added some context to the rookie WR out of Alabama, who didn’t come in as the flashiest but is undoubtedly the most pro-ready prospect at the position:

"

Early word on #Raiders WR Amari Cooper, per team source: "Real deal. Almost no mental errors. Runs great routes, consistent route runner."

— Adam Caplan (@caplannfl) June 5, 2015"

Almost no mental errors? It’s only OTAs, but anytime a rookie can come into an NFL camp and impress without much of a lapse while arduously consuming a playbook as thick as a college textbook, there’s an element of amazement.

Cooper hasn’t surprised, and yet he has during OTAs. Coaches expected him to be dialed in, but mentally he’s on another level.

Here’s a small clip of Cooper catching a pass over the top, per CSN Bay Area reporter Fallon Smith via Twitter:

"

**VIDEO** WR Amari Cooper with a nice grab #Raiders pic.twitter.com/xBT5Vox4nK

— Fallon Smith (@FallonSmithCSN) June 2, 2015 "

D.J. Hayden

Jeff Chiu/Associated Press

Third-year cornerback D.J. Hayden has made all the right moves with his footwork during OTAs, and new head coach Jack Del Rio has taken notice, per Levi Damien of Silver & Black Pride:

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Following the team's first OTA Jack Del Rio spoke of Hayden's footwork, though he was sure to point out there is still much work to be done.

"You see his feet and he's got really good feet," said Del Rio. "He's super quick. This is a hard-working football team. Coming in, I think thus far we, as a staff, have talked about how this group has been eager and working hard. That's good. It's a good place to start. Now it's a matter of sustaining that kind of effort. It's a matter of building the mentality that we want and things like that. I like the way DJ has approached his work thus far."

"

Let’s move past the smokescreen here. It’s not hard to see Hayden is physically gifted. However, he needs to get those talented feet wet on the field to sharpen his skills.

Contrary to popular belief, he didn’t end the season strongly. From Week 8—when Hayden returned to the field—to the end of the season, he surrendered the most yards by any CB on the roster by about 250 yards, per Pro Football Focus. He was gashed for six touchdowns, which was by far the most of any of the CBs on the roster.

You can blame a poor pass rush, but all the CBs played behind the same defensive line, and Hayden wasn't impressive to say the least. It should also be noted he surrendered the most touchdowns among Raiders CBs in the span of 10 games, two of which he didn’t start. 

It’s not pessimism, but let’s set the record straight about Hayden’s 2014 campaign and temper expectations accordingly.

Yes, it was nice to see him take the field for the last 10 games, but he didn’t finish the season on the highest note.

In his third year, Hayden is still a bit of an enigma, but he has the tools to be a decent player. Ultimately, it’s good to see he has the tools to build a solid career at the position, though it remains to be seen if he can fulfill his potential.

Christian Ponder

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Backup quarterback Christian Ponder’s development is very important. Starting quarterback Derek Carr has been limited all throughout OTAs with an injury to his right ring finger.

Whether you believe the injury to be serious or not, all it takes is one hit on an opponent's helmet to possibly re-injure or aggravate the injury. The fact that it’s his throwing hand should be a cause of concern.

The Raiders have to be prepared for the worst-case scenario. The team would benefit tremendously from Ponder’s veteran savvy in case Carr experiences further complications with his finger.

According to Damien, Ponder has surpassed quarterback Matt McGloin in absorbing new offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave’s playbook with the help of familiarity:

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What's interesting is despite McGloin entering his third season, it's Ponder who is ahead of the learning curve. That's because, though Ponder is new to the Raiders, he and Raiders new offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave worked together for three years in Minnesota.

Ponder said Tuesday following OTA practice that Musgrave's presence on the team was a big reason for his choosing to come to Oakland.

"This offense is a little different than what I ran in Minnesota," said Ponder. "He [Musgrave] is bringing some of the stuff from Philly over, but a lot of the vocabulary and verbiage is the same."

"

Personally, I feel McGloin has the better arm talent, but Ponder has an advantage in translating the terminology. It’ll be interesting to see which of the two will emerge as the primary backup over the course of training camp.

Ray-Ray Armstrong

Marcio Jose Sanchez/Associated Press

According to Raiders.com writer Eddie Paskal, third-year linebacker Ray-Ray Armstrong has forced coaches to give him a second look after an impressive start to OTAs.

What’s more interesting is the notion that he could push for extended playing time at outside linebacker Khalil Mack’s position when he plays on the defensive line or at weak-side linebacker Sio Moore's position.

San Francisco Chronicle writer Vic Tafur shares a bit of speculation:

"

There are some observers who think Ray-Ray Armstrong is playing Miles Burris role and being used to push Sio Moore. We’ll see. #Raiders

— Vic Tafur (@VicTafur) June 2, 2015"

According to CSNBayArea.com's Scott Bair, general manager Reggie McKenzie described Moore’s hip surgery as “major,” and though there was a lack of long-term concern, there was also some caution expressed by the GM:

"

He should be ready. There’s nothing negative to suggest that he won’t be ready for training camp. He had major surgery, so it’s going to take him awhile to get back. We’re not going to have him push through just to have him ready for the start of OTAs. We’re not going to do that.

We’ll be smart about it. We’re going to let him rehab and get strong. Barring any setbacks, he should be ready by training camp.

"

It seems as though Armstrong is primed to see the field in extended play one way or another as the Raiders' top utility linebacker. Teammate and defensive end Justin Tuck made an early call on Armstrong’s breakout campaign:

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@JustinTuck Can you name a player or two that is not really known right now, but you believe will make a name for themselves this year?

— Raider Nation Ron (@RaiderNationRon) May 31, 2015 "

"

Ray Ray Armstrong https://t.co/nwU6WK2Cnv

— Justin Tuck (@JustinTuck) May 31, 2015"

Clive Walford

Jeff Chiu/Associated Press

Tight end Clive Walford has received the most praise of any Raider during OTAs for his physical tools.

Jason Leskiw of SFBay.ca tweeted a consensus takeaway from those who attended Raiders OTAs:

"

One takeaway after the second OTA session open to the media: Clive Walford may have a very big rookie season.

— Jason Leskiw (@LeskiwSFBay) May 26, 2015"

Let’s not forget Bair’s tweet about the rookie TE earning the respect of his head coach and a teammate:

"

It’s clear from listening to Del Rio over the last few weeks and Ponder today that TE Clive Walford is making a solid first impression.

— Scott Bair (@BairCSN) May 26, 2015"

Walford managed to break out for 676 receiving yards and seven touchdowns in his final year at Miami, and there’s no reason to think he’s incapable of continuing his exceptional play in the NFL.

Despite the fact that the Miami standout was drafted for the balance he brings as a receiver and blocking TE, it’s highly likely he’ll become a matchup nightmare over the middle and down the seam as a receiver in a high-powered, uptempo offense.

You can follow Maurice Moton on Twitter for the latest on the Raiders and NFL chatter.

Advanced statistics provided by Sports-reference.com and Pro Football Focus.