Oakland Raiders Depth-Chart Predictions Ahead of Training Camp

When it comes to the Oakland Raiders depth chart, expect the unexpected. Last year, undrafted rookies claimed four of the 53 roster spots in September. With added talent at various positions, veterans on the bubble and developing first-year players will battle for positions on the 2017 team.

Most will pay close attention to the camp competition at inside linebacker and right tackle. It's also worth tracking the cuts. Expect the coaching staff to make tough decisions on veterans who may have limited availability because of injury or after underwhelming on the practice field. 

For the Raiders, it's a good problem to have after spending years attempting to accumulate talent to simply compete. Now, teams will likely look at the Raiders' practice squad for quality players. 

Head coach Jack Del Rio must choose wisely to separate those with the ability to contribute right away and developing assets who need more time to mature behind the scenes. Before the team reconvenes on July 29 for training camp, we'll go through early depth-chart predictions.

Quarterbacks

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Derek Carr

Connor Cook

EJ Manuel

As quarterback Derek Carr tests his stardom in film, shown via his Instagram account, Connor Cook and EJ Manuel should prepare to battle for the primary backup spot. The second-year pro tasted late-season and playoff experience, which may serve him well through exhibition games without a bearing on the standings. 

Manuel has a fair opportunity to take over the No. 2 spot thanks to his extensive experience in the league. The 2013 first-round pick didn't completely tarnish his name with the Buffalo Bills. He started 17 games in four seasons, completing 58.3 percent of his passes and throwing 19 touchdowns to 15 interceptions.

Without Matt McGloin to light up the field during the preseason, Cook and Manuel will have the spotlight in August. After the Raiders started three passers under center in the previous campaign, look for both signal-callers to make the final roster in 2017.

Running Backs

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Marshawn Lynch

Jalen Richard

DeAndre Washington

Elijah Hood

Jamize Olawale (Fullback)

Last year, many felt George Atkinson III deserved a spot over Taiwan Jones. Nonetheless, the 28-year-old's special teams work helped him earn a spot on the 53-man roster.

It's clear the Raiders have a strong running back stable, which allows Jones to specialize on special teams. However, rookie running back Elijah Hood may have too much talent to risk as a practice-squad player. As the potential heir to Marshawn Lynch's role as a physical back with blocking capabilities, the North Carolina product has a pathway to a roster spot.

Hood must first prove his worth on the practice field within a solid group and on special teams, but it's a feasible goal. Jones played 241 snaps on return coverage in the previous year. He's an established asset in the third phase of the game and won't go quietly. However, it's time for new blood with more potential to take the spot.

Wide Receivers

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Amari Cooper

Michael Crabtree

Seth Roberts

Cordarrelle Patterson

Jaydon Mickens

The top three wideouts remain the same, then add Cordarrelle Patterson and Jaydon Mickens. The Raiders lost wide receiver Andre Holmes to the Bills during free agency, but the team has several developing young talents at the position.

Among the pass-catchers with promise, Mickens stood out as the most comfortable on the field with his hands and ball-tracking skills. According to Raiders.com digital media producer Kyle Martin, the 24-year-old wideout has already put a defender in a blender and spectators in awe at practice:

"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."

Mickens will take the fifth spot on the depth chart behind Patterson, who's also a dangerous receiver in space. Seth Roberts should maintain his position in the slot because of his blocking ability and rapport with Carr.

Tight Ends

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Jared Cook

Clive Walford

Lee Smith 

The Raiders felt the need to go after top receiving tight ends on the free-agent market in Martellus Bennett, as Ben Volin of the Boston Globe reported, and Jared Cook. That sends a clear message to Clive Walford. The front office and coaching staff want to see more production at the position, specifically in the passing game.

In 2016, Cook missed six games and experienced one of his worst campaigns as a pass-catcher. During the regular season, he caught 30 passes for 377 yards and one touchdown. Nonetheless, he broke out once he reached the postseason, with 18 catches for 229 yards and two touchdowns in three games.

Cook's clutch performances in high-stakes scenarios likely caught Oakland's attention. Now, with a quarterback most compare to Aaron Rodgers, the 30-year-old tight end could build upon his 2017 postseason showing.

The Raiders have a question mark at right tackle, but whoever starts in that spot will have help from Lee Smith, who's an exceptional blocking tight end, on the edge.

Offensive Line

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OT: Donald Penn

LG: Kelechi Osemele

C: Rodney Hudson

RG: Gabe Jackson

RT: Vadal Alexander

OL: Marshall Newhouse

OL: Jon Feliciano

OL: David Sharpe

OL: Denver Kirkland

General manager Reggie McKenzie managed to extend Carr's and Gabe Jackson's contracts without clearing additional space after releasing defensive tackle Dan Williams. However, offensive lineman Austin Howard's extended recovery period will still cost him a roster spot in Oakland. According to NBCS Bay Area reporter Scott Bair, he's questionable to return late July when training camp kicks off. 

Howard blocks well for the run game on the perimeter, but the front office added three players over the past few months at the position. There's reason to believe Oakland brass doubts the 30-year-old returns to the field ready to start Week 1 in good shape following multiple shoulder surgeries.

Vadal Alexander, David Sharpe and Marshall Newhouse all split snaps at right tackle in Howard's absence. Initially, many thought the rookie fourth-round pick would take snaps behind left tackle Donald Penn as his eventual replacement, but he added to an already fierce position battle on the opposite side.

The Raiders should consider keeping Newhouse around because of his versatility and experience playing left tackle. If Penn finishes the upcoming campaign healthy and allows few sacks, the team will have a free-agent decision to make on him in the following offseason. Newhouse could be a temporary or an emergency stopgap on the left side.

Interior offensive lineman Jon Feliciano suffered a minor right-knee injury, but Del Rio said it's not expected to affect him long term, per Las Vegas Review-Journal reporter Michael Gehlken. For added depth, Denver Kirkland, who started four games in the previous season, rounds out the supplemental aspects of Carr Insurance.

Defensive Line

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EDGE: Khalil Mack, Bruce Irvin, Shilique Calhoun, James Cowser

NT: Justin Ellis

DE/DT: Mario Edwards Jr., Denico Autry, Darius Latham, Treyvon Hester, Eddie Vanderdoes, Jihad Ward

For those concerned with semantics, Bruce Irvin, Shilique Calhoun and James Cowser may also fit under the strong-side linebacker category. Nonetheless, they're all dangerous attacking the pocket off the edge.

The Raiders lost several core special teamers in Daren Bates, Brynden Trawick and Nate Allen. It's important for Calhoun or Cowser to contribute in kick coverage on a consistent basis.

Defensively, Mario Edwards Jr.'s presence will elevate the run defense. He'll also have depth behind him with rookies Eddie Vanderdoes and Treyvon Hester on the roster. The second-rounder missed organized team activities and mandatory minicamp because of academic obligations at UCLA, but he shouldn't be in danger of missing the final cut. The seventh-rounder flashed with the starters through June, per ESPN.com's Paul Gutierrez. 

According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, Jihad Ward will return to action mid-August, which doesn't bode well for his short-term development over the summer. Darius Latham, Hester and Vanderdoes could make it difficult for the second-year player to see significant reps with starters during the preseason.

Inside Linebackers

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MLB: Cory James, Marquel Lee, Ben Heeney

WILL: Tyrell Adams, Jelani Jenkins 

The names at inside linebacker won't excite you, but the Raiders will likely add a veteran with starting experience late August or early September. As long as Perry Riley Jr. remains unsigned, he's the likely candidate to join the group before Week 1.

Meanwhile, Cory James has a stronghold on the starting spot. He started five games during the previous season. As a rookie, Marquel Lee must find his footing during training camp. For the most part, Ben Heeney worked with trainers on the side in an effort to recover from the ankle injury that landed him on injured reserve in 2016.

Until the Raiders add an experienced middle linebacker, it's James' spot to lose. Tyrell Adams has surpassed Jelani Jenkins, partially because of the latter's absence during a portion of the offseason program. The second-year linebacker has also shown the ability to track down the football, per Raiders.com's Eddie Paskal.

"While Adams appeared in just six games in 2016, he's shown a nose for the football throughout the Offseason Workout Program, and his effort Tuesday was consistent with that," Paskal said.

Jenkins has ample time to close the gap on the starting position, but the undrafted talent could develop into another gem.

Defensive Backs

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CB: Sean Smith, David Amerson, Antonio Hamilton

NB: T.J. Carrie, Gareon Conley

SS: Karl Joseph, Keith McGill

FS: Reggie Nelson, Obi Melifonwu

Despite calls for major changes in the secondary, the Raiders will trot out veteran starters from the previous season and hope defensive assistant John Pagano puts them in a position to stop explosive plays and cuts down on lapses in communication. The team will go with tweaks to the scheme as opposed to the personnel.

Pagano spoke with reporters about correcting the major miscues after a team practice session in May. He'll work diligently with the cornerbacks and safeties to defend against 20-yard bombs downfield and receivers burning through coverage on vertical routes.

Obi Melifonwu lists as a free safety, but he'll learn various roles on defense, including the moneybacker spot, which blends coverage duties and a presence in the box as a run defender. For the Connecticut product's first year, the coaching staff will have time to gauge his strengths and weaknesses to decide where he fits best.

Last year, cornerback Antonio Hamilton emerged as an undrafted rookie keeper on the final 53-man roster. The coaching staff also plugged him into the lineup when D.J. Hayden suffered a season-ending hamstring injury in Week 12. After seeing action against the Carolina Panthers, he shared what the team saw in his game, per Silver and Black Pride writer Levi Damien:

"It's been great. The coaches, they saw something in me that I really didn't think I had in me. They just felt like I was going to be able to be some type of contribution to the team. Whether it was on defense or stepping up mainly as I've been doing, playing on special teams whenever they activated me, so everything's been great.

"They liked my speed, my size, and how physical I played. They like how smart I was, how quick I was able to pick on different things, playing corner and nickel. They really liked that a lot."

Hamilton dressed for four games in the previous season and may play a bigger role on special teams in 2017.

Keith McGill will earn a spot with the safeties because of his contributions on kick coverage. Last year, he logged 281 snaps on special teams. In the upcoming season, he'll fill the same role to compensate for the losses within the unit.

Special Teams

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K: Sebastian Janikowski

P: Marquette King

LS: Jon Condo

The Raiders keep the status quo at kicker, punter and long snapper. The team released Jon Condo's only competition at the position in Anthony Kukwa. 

The front office locked up punter Marquette King through the 2020 season. The coaching staff can do without the penalties, but he's one of the better players at his position. 

McKenzie will keep a close eye on Sebastian Janikowski's 2017 performance as he goes through the final year on his deal. He'll turn 40 a few days before the 2018 NFL year begins with free agency.

The Raiders have signed kicker Giorgio Tavecchio for the fourth consecutive year. It's unlikely the 26-year-old makes it through the final cuts, but he's a potential replacement if the team opts to allow Janikowski to walk off into the sunset at the end of the year.