5 Key Players Set to Decide their best chance as they make 53-man roster With Raiders after deal was Formally Agreed Following…
Opportunity knocks for these rookies in training camp
With OTAs in the books, the voluntary portion of the Las Vegas Raiders’ offseason is over as mandatory minicamp is underway and training camp is steadily approaching. That means the position battles are heating up, especially for the undrafted rookie free agents vying for a spot on the 53-man roster at the end of the summer.
So, let’s take a look at which of the Raiders’ UDFA signings have the best chance to earn a spot on the squad. The players below are listed in no particular order.
Andrew Coker
Las Vegas has a few question marks at offensive tackle in general, including the depth at the position. Late free-agent singing Andrus Peat is getting up there in age and hasn’t played right tackle in a regular season game since his rookie year in 2015. Meanwhile, rookie DJ Glaze might be a better fit at guard.
Coker making the roster will largely depend on how many offensive linemen the coaching staff wants to keep, but his skills in pass protection give him a good chance of beating Dalton Wagner and Jalen McKenzie for the team’s final tackle spot.
Tulu Griffin
There are two avenues where Griffin can make the roster; as a deep threat and returner.
Outside of Tre Tucker, the Raiders’ receiving corps lacks some speed and the Mississippi State product clocked a 4.43-second 40-yard dash time at the NFL Combine. Also, he caught six of 11 deep targets for 237 yards and two touchdowns for the Bulldogs last year, according to Pro Football Focus.
In the return game, Griffin logged over 1,600 yards at a clip of 30.7 yards per return and had two touchdowns on kickoffs during his college career, per PFF. That will help him at least compete with Tucker and sixth-round pick Dylan Laube for the kick-returner role to spice up that competition in training camp.
Carter Bradley
Everyone knows about the quarterback battle between Aidan O’Connell and Gardner Minshew as the team’s starter. However, that’s not the only competition the Silver and Black have at the most important position on the field as Anthony Brown and Bradley will be duking it out for a backup role as well.
While Brown has an advantage when it comes to experience, including one regular season start in Week 18 two years ago, Bradley has more arm talent and potential.
Las Vegas will likely roster three signal callers to take advantage of the NFL’s new emergency quarterback rule and don’t be surprised if the undrafted free agent turns heads this summer to earn that spot.
Ja’Quan Sheppard
Much like quarterback and offensive tackle, the Raiders’ cornerback situation is very fluid. With nine out of 11 corners on the current roster having four or fewer years of experience, it’s a young position group that lacks depth which gives all three undrafted rookie corners a chance to make the team.
Of the trio referenced above, Sheppard received the biggest contract with $175,000 guaranteed, a nice chunk of change for a UDFA. That’s a good sign that the front office thinks he has the best chance of making the roster and there are plenty of open spots in the cornerback room.
Amari Gainer
Versatility is a big reason why Gainer has a chance to make the 53-man roster as he has experience lining up as an off-ball linebacker and at edge. Especially as a backup option, that gives the coaching staff more reason to keep him around as he can plug a few different holes on the defense in a pinch.
Unsurprisingly, the former Tar Heel is an impressive athlete with a 9.33 RAS and has experience playing special teams. All of that gives him a chance to beat out Amari Burney in training camp, and the Raiders have several impending free agents at linebacker, so they might want to keep Gainer around for the long haul.
