5 Dark-Horse Candidates to Make Oakland Raiders' Final 53-Man Roster

Deep within the crevices of the Oakland Raiders depth chart lie some hidden gems capable of making the 53-man roster.

Some of these players are rough around the edges, but they’re raw talents who can make a push in case of injuries or a lack of depth at a particular position.

The Raiders have the talent to propel the franchise out of obscurity; a small percentage of those talents aren’t the flashy names or rising superstars.

We’ll discuss some players who can potentially make the final cut as active players on the roster for the regular season.

OG Lamar Mady

Kathy Willens/Associated Press

Lamar Mady (left)

Offensive lineman Tony Bergstrom recently took over duties as the backup center over guard Lamar Mady, per Silver and Black Pride writer Levi Damien, but the opportunities don’t end there for the third-year offensive lineman.

Gabe Jackson is the only impressive natural guard on the depth chart, which leaves room for another guard to step up on the right side of the offensive line.

Originally, rookie guard Jon Feliciano (fourth-round pick) was supposed to fill that void, but he has remained listless throughout the first two months of the offseason, practicing as the No. 3 guard.

Feliciano has a bright outlook for his future, but Mady could take advantage of the opportunity now, while the right guard position remains competitive between two natural offensive tackles, Khalif Barnes and J’Marcus Webb.

RB Michael Dyer

Eric Risberg/Associated Press

Michael Dyer

Latavius Murray's development and the revitalization of Trent Richardson's career have dominated the buzz around the Raiders running back stable.

Michael Dyer limped into the draft literally and figuratively after a lackluster senior year at Louisville. That subpar year doesn’t mask his overall collegiate production over the course of four years, though. He accumulated 3,039 rushing yards and 22 touchdowns over a pair of two-year stints between Auburn and Louisville. He accumulated more than 2,000 of those rushing yards at Auburn.

Richardson isn’t the only running back looking to breathe life into his professional career. Dyer entered camp and made an early statement with an impressive offseason, per ESPN.com's Bill Williamson via Twitter:

"

In addition to vet RBs, UFA Michael Dyer also has a chance to make roster if he has a good camp. He had good offseason. #Raiders

— Bill Williamson (@BWilliamsonESPN) June 25, 2015"

The team should utilize Roy Helu Jr. as the versatile receiving running back, leaving Dyer open to push for some touches behind Murray.

CB SaQwan Edwards

Associated Press

SaQwan Edwards (right)

SaQwan Edwards went undrafted, but there’s little separating a seventh-round pick and an undrafted free agent. Seventh-round pick Dexter McDonald holds an edge over Edwards, but it’s possible that both cornerbacks make the 53-man roster.

Edwards (6'0", 200 lbs) has the strong build that could potentially interest defensive coordinator Ken Norton Jr. The Raiders have enough bigger bodies in the secondary to play physically on the perimeter against wide receivers. Keith McGill has taken first-team reps, per Williamson, with only 12 games and one start on his resume. Size may serve as the Raiders' savior for an unproven pass defense.

As a former wide receiver, Edwards understands pass routes and can potentially serve as a valuable asset in dime packages. Keep in mind that former seventh-round pick Travis Carrie leapfrogged former fourth-round pick McGill during the 2014 season. Training camp should ultimately decide whether either or both McDonald and Edwards make the 53-man roster.

QB Cody Fajardo

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Cody Fajardo

According to Williamson, there’s a possibility that the team trades quarterback Matt McGloin, which makes sense. At this point, McGloin's stock may have reached its height as a backup—especially if Christian Ponder takes over as the No. 2 quarterback. As a No. 3 quarterback, McGloin’s stock will decline, hurting his trade value.

The Raiders haven’t addressed trade rumors, but packaging McGloin for a draft pick or guard shouldn’t surprise anyone.

Secondly, according to CSN Bay Area reporter Scott Bair, Ponder struggled throughout mandatory minicamp in June, which leaves the primary backup position open for competition.

Quarterback Cody Fajardo’s medical history hurt his draft stock, leading to his fall off draft boards around the league, per WalterFootball.com writer Charlie Campbell (h/t Cal Setar of HNGN.com):

"Sources say the reason they had a late-round grade on Fajardo, but an injury concern had their team remove him from their draft board. Two other teams echoed that sentiment, so there must have been something significant in his medical file to cause teams to drop him into the undrafted pool."

Fajardo was a solid dual-threat quarterback project and more than just a camp arm to simulate practices. He can potentially serve as a changeup at the backup position, pending the trade talk surrounding McGloin and Ponder’s performance in training camp.

S Jonathan Dowling

Uncredited/Associated Press

Jonathan Dowling

A thin safety position creates opportunities for developing defensive backs in the upcoming season in Oakland. Raider Nation collectively holds its breath for 38-year-old Charles Woodson, who turns 39 in October, in hopes that he plays another full season without injury. 

Second-year safety Jonathan Dowling made some plays during mandatory minicamp, per Damien:

“Speaking of second-year defensive backs, Jonathan Dowling was making plays today as well. He made life difficult for Ponder, beginning with a pass defended, and later picked him off and got a decent return out of it.”

Dowling has the potential to make the roster as insurance for Woodson or add solid depth to the position behind Brandian Ross. He recorded an impressive nine interceptions, 20 passes defended and eight forced fumbles in his last two collegiate years at Western Kentucky.

Who are your dark-horse candidates to make the 53-man roster? You can follow Maurice Moton on Twitter and give your opinion! 

Statistics provided by Pro-Football-Reference.com and Sports-Reference.com.

Player measurements courtesy of Raiders.com.