Breaking Down Oakland Raiders' Deepest, Thinnest Roster Spots
Every NFL team will attempt to balance their rosters over the next three months. The Oakland Raiders may have a few more Jalen Richard-type players capable of making the 53-man depth chart as undrafted rookies.
If you ask linebacker Bruce Irvin, he'll tell you practicing with pads will separate players from pretenders, but the journey starts at some point, right? Why not hit the ground running and earn an early name for yourself among a large group?
One lightning-quick juke or thunderous tackle could generate some buzz. A few players stood out during the team's three-day rookie camp. It's a small footnote before the Raiders' organized team activities begin May 24 with intermittent practices through June 9 followed by mandatory minicamp June 14-16.
As presently constructed, we'll break down the Raiders' strongest and weakest roster positions based on depth and quality.
Running Back: Deep
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The Raiders fielded a solid three-man backfield rotation in 2016. Swap out Latavius Murray, add Marshawn Lynch and potentially Beast Mode lite in rookie Elijah Hood.
According to The MMQB's Albert Breer, the Raiders' third seventh-round pick made an early impression during rookie camp.
"Want a sleeper coming out of last weekend's rookie minicamps? Keep an eye on Oakland's seventh-round pick Elijah Hood, a 232-pound hammer of a tailback who turned the heads of the offensive staff," Breer said.
Go ahead and roll your eyes at analysis in May, but every standout performance counts for a seventh-round pick. Let's say Lynch misses a suffers a minor injury; the team may decide to ease his workload or sideline him for a few games, and Hood could make an impact as a physical runner in between the tackles.
According to Raiders.com senior insider Eddie Paskal, Hood patents his game after Lynch's violent run style, which gives the team an insurance policy for the original Beast Mode.
Furthermore, the Raiders have a dynamic running back duo in DeAndre Washington and Jalen Richard. As small backs, they're both capable receivers as well. Richard netted 685 yards from scrimmage and Washington totaled 582 rushing and receiving yards combined during the previous campaign.
The Raiders' abundance of talent at running back behind a massive offensive line should put the rushing offense within the top three in yards gained for the upcoming season.
Weak-Side Linebacker: Thin
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What's more surprising than the Raiders waiting until the fifth round to address the linebacker spot?
General manager Reggie McKenzie only drafted one player at a position that overall struggled against the run and pass. In the previous season, Malcolm Smith and Cory James earned grades at or below 50 in pass coverage, per Pro Football Focus. Opposing ball-carriers broke through the defensive line and found wiggle room on the second level as well.
Perry Riley Jr. flashed as a bright spot at middle linebacker, but he's still unsigned. The front office signed Jelani Jenkins, but who's his competition at training camp for the weak-side spot?
Head coach Jack Del Rio spoke on the inadequacies at middle linebacker, per NBC Bay Area reporter Scott Bair, but at least there's some competition for the position among Marquel Lee, Ben Heeney and James. Aside from Tyrell Adams, who would go unnoticed at your local grocery store, there's very little assets at weak-side linebacker.
Neiron Ball continues to go through rehab, per McKenzie, and the team gave the oft-injured linebacker's jersey number to Adams.
Unless a few camp tryouts stick to the roster or safety Obi Melifonwu plays the moneybacker role in sub-packages, the team should be on the lookout for veteran talent at weak-side linebacker.
For those unfamiliar with the moneybacker term, it's a defender who can cover and play closer to the line of scrimmage. Typically, it's a physical safety who can thump in the box, or an agile linebacker, who can backpedal and stay with coverage. Arizona Cardinals' Deone Bucannon comes to mind when thinking about a prototypical moneybacker abbreviated as $LB on the Cardinals' official website.
At 6'3", 217 pounds, Melifonwu could fill the moneybacker role due to his three-year experience as a free safety at Connecticut and reliable tackling ability when playing downhill.
Offensive Tackle: Deep
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The Raiders acquired several add-ons to their Derek Carr insurance. McKenzie drafted David Sharpe in the fourth round and Jylan Ware in the seventh round. The former may push for Donald Penn's spot at left tackle next season. The latter flashes athleticism that compares to what the Raiders liked in Menelik Watson on the right side.
During free agency, the front office added seventh-year veteran Marshall Newhouse to the competition to replace Watson at right tackle. He joins Austin Howard and Vadal Alexander in a huge battle on the perimeter.
Five players have a legitimate opportunity to start at right tackle for the upcoming season. Pro Football Focus composed a comparison chart for the non-rookie competitors. Newhouse holds an advantage in pass-blocking. Howard graded the best among the three in run blocking. Alexander listed a better pass-blocking mark than Howard and offers the most upside as a second-year player with room to grow.
Nonetheless, we shouldn't count out either rookie in the competition. As a seventh-round pick, Alexander started five games at right tackle during his rookie campaign.
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Safety: Thin
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As previously mentioned, Melifonwu could play the moneybacker role as a coverage linebacker in nickel packages. McKenzie also drafted Shalom Luani, who the general manager called a "football-playing Jessie" after the draft.
At Washington State, Luani flashed ball-tracking skills, but he struggled to wrap-up tackles, which may limit him to special teams duties to sharpen his takedown abilities. Poor tackling could also cost the seventh-round pick a roster spot.
Keith McGill, who went from a potential starting cornerback going into the 2015 season to a special teamer for the 2016 campaign, struggled at safety before taking a role on kick coverage.
Behind Karl Joseph and Reggie Nelson, the Raiders lack veteran talent. Nate Allen played quality snaps as a fill-in for Joseph and performed well in spurts, but he signed with the Miami Dolphins via free agency. Now, the Raiders will lean on a rookie, who may have an early niche role covering tight ends, and McGill to fill any gaps needed at safety.
One injury could shift T.J. Carrie back over to safety—a position he played during the 2015 campaign.
Wide Receiver: Deep
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Jaydon Mickens has generated buzz for himself during rookie minicamp, which he's eligible for due to his extensive time on the practice squad in the previous year.
Throughout camp, Mickens has shown good hands and speed. On Sunday, he displayed the latter on a double move to break free from a defender, per Kyle Martin of Raiders.com:
"Mickens is known as one of the speedier players on the team and reminded everyone of that Sunday. He burst off the line with a quick first step and as his defender approached, he hit him with a double move sending his opponent the opposite direction. The play got a rise out of the players watching, as well as the coaching staff."
It doesn't seem like much, but the coaching staff may consider swapping Johnny Holton out for Mickens. There's not much room for receptions behind Michael Crabtree, Amari Cooper, Cordarrelle Patterson and Seth Roberts, but Holton listed on the active roster for 15 contests last year.
As a smaller pass-catcher under 6'0", Mickens provides another receiving option who can turn a short reception into a longer gain with yards after the catch. Patterson also gives Carr an alternative option in the slot when Roberts develops stone hands.
Interior Offensive Lineman: Thin
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The Raiders' starting offensive guards didn't allow a sack in the previous season, per Pro Football Focus. It's probably the best interior offensive line duo most fail to mention because Gabe Jackson came into the league as a third-round pick and shifted to right guard for the first time in 2016.
Outside of the Raiders' fanbase, Jackson doesn't garner enough praise for his play, especially because Kelechi Osemele's contract dominates the conversation when it comes to Oakland's starting interior offensive linemen.
On a yearly average, the 27-year-old guard's salary ranks No. 10 among all offensive linemen and second to the Cleveland Browns' costly free-agent pickup Kevin Zeitler at the position, per Spotrac.
Behind Osemele and Jackson, Jon Feliciano played 187 snaps during the 2015 season and 38 snaps in 2016. Alexander has already eclipsed him in live-game experience with 305 snaps on offense.
The coaching staff trotted out J'Marcus Webb far too many snaps at right guard during Feliciano's rookie year. Osemele and Jackson stayed healthy during the previous season, which limited opportunities for the 2015 fourth-round pick.
Unless Alexander swings inside, an injury on the interior would place an inexperienced guard in Feliciano, Oni Omoile or Denver Kirkland into action.
Interior Defensive Lineman: Deep
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On the opposite side of the trenches, the defensive interior could finish as the most improved unit on the roster for the 2017 season.
Mario Edwards Jr. has to stay healthy to continue his solid play after a promising rookie campaign. Darius Latham logged two starts after the coaching staff benched Jihad Ward late in the previous season.
McKenzie added defensive interior reinforcements in third-rounder Eddie Vanderdoes and his final draft pick, Treyvon Hester.
Before Vanderdoes' ACL injury as a junior at UCLA, he tossed offensive linemen around in the trenches as a viable run-stopper.
On a conference call after the draft, Vanderdoes said he dropped 40 pounds and weighs 302. Significantly fewer pounds takes pressure off his knees and ankles, which gave him issues over the past two years. In leaner form, he could push for snaps on rushing downs.
As a senior at Toledo, Hester dominated the interior. He logged 39 tackles, five sacks and 8.5 tackles for a loss. The seventh-rounder projects as the pass-rushing 3-technique defensive tackle, who's going to complement Justin Ellis' run-stopping ability on the inside.
The coaching staff will have so many options and permutations to utilize between the edge-rushers. The Raiders' run defense and ability to generate pressure up the middle should improve with the best performers earning the most snaps.
Tight End: Deep
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Slightly overlooked, the tight end position could provide the biggest splash in touchdown production. Ninth-year veteran Jared Cook should take the field as an immediate option in the red zone.
Clive Walford will feel the competition at training camp, with a 30-year-old counterpart stealing targets at the position. He must show signs of moderate progression or risk falling behind two players to watch during the offseason.
The Raiders have kept Gabe Holmes in the loop for three years, and he flashed good hands during the previous offseason. This year, the team signed Pharaoh Brown who racked up 846 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns between his junior and redshirt senior campaigns.
Brown suffered a significant knee injury, which cost him the entire 2015 season at Oregon. According to Andrew Greif of The Oregonian, the injury required three surgeries, but he returned to the field with a productive performance to cap his collegiate career.
The Oregon product could flash as a top performer during training camp. Ironically, Pro Football Focus compared his skill set to Cook. Due to the knee injury, there are concerns, but the Raiders have alternatives in case Walford's development continues at a snail's pace.
Don't forget Lee Smith, the physical component at tight end. As if a dominant offensive line isn't enough, Smith will return as a key run- and pass-blocker to seal the edge.
Stats provided by Sports Reference and Pro Football Reference unless otherwise noted.
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