Oakland Raiders Training Camp: 5 Early Storylines to Watch

Oakland Raiders’ rookies must report to training camp on July 26, and the veterans report on July 30 at the team’s Napa Valley Training Complex, per the team’s official website.

We're approximately a week away from the continuation of unfolding storylines that will dictate the direction of the franchise for the upcoming 2015 season.

Younger NFL teams like the Raiders usually have intriguing storylines due to the competition among developing players at questionable positions.

There are several positions on the roster that require unproven or underachieving players to step up, and training camp is the first step.

We’ll walk through some of the scenarios and subplots to watch out for at the very minute players step on the training grounds in Napa California.

D.J. Hayden’s Uphill Battle

Eric Risberg/Associated Press

D.J. Hayden

According to ESPN’s Bill Williamson, cornerback D.J. Hayden steps into training camp as the No. 3 cornerback on the roster:

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This is not what the Raiders imagined when they drafted Hayden with the No. 12 overall pick in 2013. He is entering his third NFL training camp as the No. 3 cornerback. He can still win a job. But he was drafted to dominate, not to compete for a job in his third year.

"

Hayden’s play at the end of the 2014 season couldn’t save his starting job through June. Maybe he’s not the shutdown cornerback general manager Reggie McKenzie expected when selecting him in the first round of the 2013 draft.

Oakland is comfortable with shuffling personnel at the position simply because Hayden wasn’t the slightest bit impressive in 10 games last season. Yes, he was healthy, but that doesn’t equate to efficiency and production. According to Pro Football Focus, Hayden ranked ninth in touchdowns surrendered (six) and only started eight of 10 games in 2014.

It’s not a surprise to see defensive coordinator Ken Norton Jr. go long with a rangy, 6'3" Keith McGill. He can cover space to decrease the size of opposing quarterbacks’ throwing windows or get physical to disrupt the timing between quarterbacks and wide receivers.

Maximizing Mack

Eric Risberg/Associated Press

Khalil Mack

Outside linebacker Khalil Mack is clearly the best defensive player on the roster. More responsibility falls on his shoulders in transforming the defense, and it starts with his sack total.

According to NFL.com’s Conor Orr, Mack is the No. 1 player expected to “make a leap” in 2015:

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Mack suffered a bit in terms of public perception due to some relatively low sack numbers (4). But now that he's playing for a more imaginative defensive coordinator on a team that should take a major leap forward in 2015, all the basic ingredients for more sacks should be in place. (Example: There's a chance the Raiders are leading a few more games in the fourth quarter this year, resulting in more obvious passing downs for Mack to take advantage of.) 

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Mack’s role will likely mirror Denver Broncos’ outside linebacker Von Miller who played in a 4-3 base defense last season. However, given Mack’s versatility, Norton could line him up at defensive end or re-align the defense into a 3-4 setup to maximize his strength as a pass-rusher. Remember: Mack accumulated 28.5 sacks in his four-year collegiate career at Buffalo.

The Raiders need Mack to reach a double-digit sack total. The bright defensive minds of head coach Jack Del Rio's and Norton's should be able to come up with several schemes to help him achieve that goal. He could be a dangerous 3-4 outside linebacker in sub-packages similar to Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Justin Houston or a terror on the defensive line. 

Addressing the Right Side of the Offensive Line

Eric Risberg/Associated Press

Khalif Barnes

The offensive line, when divided into halves, contrasts like night and day. On the left side, Donald Penn and Gabe Jackson are entrenched as starters. On the right side, it’s anyone guess who’s going to start Week 1 of the season.

J’Marcus Webb and Menelik Watson enter training camp as starters at right guard and right tackle respectively, per Williamson.

Don’t get comfortable with this arrangement, as offensive line coach Mike Tice tinkers with combinations to get the best players on the field. Webb hasn’t played a snap at guard until arriving at Raiders’ OTAs. Howard remains a viable option at right tackle.

In a perfect world, rookie guard Jon Feliciano would emerge as the starter alongside Watson who was a former second-round pick. The former Florida State tackle has a good chance of maintaining his position, but the starting outlook for Feliciano isn’t very bright for the 2015 season. Currently, he’s the No. 3 right guard behind Webb and Khalif Barnes, per Williamson:

“The Raiders initially hoped Feliciano, a fourth-round pick, could compete to start. He is headed to training camp behind veterans J’Marcus Webb and Khalif Barnes at right guard. Feliciano has a future, but he needs to develop.”

What started as a two-man competition between Barnes and Feliciano expanded when the Raiders decided to sign Webb. This could be a detriment to Feliciano’s short-term outlook as a questionable fourth-round pick who was projected as an undrafted prospect via CBSSports.com. Feliciano could develop into a solid guard, but it likely won't happen in the upcoming season.

Veteran Receivers on the Roster Bubble

Eric Risberg/Associated Press

No. 12 Brice Butler

In a rare occurrence, rookie wide receivers could take over the Raiders depth chart. Amari Cooper is slated to start, and it’s possible both Josh Harper and Austin Willis make the 53-man roster.

Both undrafted rookies, Harper and Willis must have an impressive offseason. They also have an inroad to solidifying a roster spot. Harper has a well-documented Fresno State connection with quarterback Derek Carr. Willis has experience as a kick returner at Emporia State—a position of need for the Raiders.

Veterans Brice Butler and Kenbrell Thompkins aren’t necessarily on the way out, but they're on the roster bubble.

This isn’t just hate for Butler, one of Raider Nation’s favorites. NBCBayarea.com writer Doug Williams also sees the back end of the wide-receiver depth chart as a competition to watch during training camp.

Race for No. 2 Running Back

Noah Berger/Associated Press

Roy Helu Jr.

Offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave is gushing over running back Latavius Murray as a starter, according to tweets from CSNBayarea.com reporter Scott Bair and SilverAndBlackPride.com editor and writer Levi Damien:

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Musgrave has been impressed by Latavius Murray's work ethic, willingness to learn.

— Scott Bair (@BairCSN) June 11, 2015"

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Bill Musgrave touched on why Latavius Murray has been able to establish himself as the number one guy "Great study habits". #Raiders

— Levi Damien (@LeviDamien) June 11, 2015"

Most NFL backfields are equipped with a running back committee. Who will claim the No. 2 spot behind Murray?

Trent Richardson, Roy Helu Jr. and Michael Dyer will vie for touches as the backup. Raider Nation would like to see Marcel Reece’s role at running back expand, but if it didn’t happen behind an ineffective combination of Darren McFadden and Maurice Jones-Drew last season, it’s not going to happen in 2015.

Reece will be considered an H-back in Musgrave’s sans fullback offensive design, which means more catches instead of carries for the Raiders resident tough guy.

Dyer had an impressive showing during OTAs and minicamp making him a candidate to make the practice squad in the worst-case scenario—if he continues to show out in practice.

Richardson and Helu have the best chance of taking the backup role behind Murray. Helu is often viewed as a one-dimensional pass-catching running back, but he eclipsed 100 rushing yards in three out of four games, carrying the ball 20-plus times in his career. 

Helu was underutilized during his four-year stint with the Washington Redskins. He’s more than qualified as a versatile back to complement Murray if Richardson doesn’t make the best of his chances in Oakland.

Nonetheless, as a former No. 3 overall pick, Richardson who shed some weight during the offseason will get the first opportunity to become the primary backup.

Which storyline caught your attention? All comments welcome below. Follow Maurice Moton on Twitter for NFL and Raiders news. 

All statistics are provided by Pro-Football-Reference.com and Sports-Reference.com unless otherwise noted. 

Player measurements courtesy of Raiders.com.