Silver And Black Pride
Returning Raider Nation’s questions for the week
The Las Vegas Raiders are wrapping up OTAs this week, and mandatory minicamp starts next week. Then, it’s summer break as the Raiders will put a bow on spring practices and get prepped for training camp. Before that, we’ve got this week’s mailbag to get to, focusing on the young guys on Las Vegas’ roster.
Q: Who are the 2 to 3 UDFA’s that will make this team, and will any of them start or get meaningful snaps this season?
A: With 11 draft picks, I think it’s going to be hard for this year’s undrafted free agents to make the 53-man roster. There will certainly be at least one, maybe two, who earn a spot on the team, but three might be a little ambitious.
That said, there are four undrafted guys that I’ll be keeping an eye on this summer: interior offensive lineman Jarrod Hufford, edge defender Jah Joyner, cornerback Mello Dotson and linebacker Jailin Walker.
Of those guys, I’ll give Dotson and Walker the best chances to make the roster, given how wide open the corner and linebacker positions are for the Raiders. Joyner would be next in line as he can be a good pass-rusher off the bench. I could see Dotson and Walker getting meaningful snaps with the defense’s need at corner and linebacker.
Q: As of today, how many yards does Jack Bech, Dont’e Thornton and Tre Tucker get?
A: Typically, I’m not big on stat predictions, but I’ll give this one a shot.
I’m bullish on Tucker this season, so I’ll say he sets a career-high with 700 yards. Bech will be around 600 yards, which would have been the seventh-most among rookie wide receivers last year. Thornton, 200, since I think he’s more of a project and will have a bigger impact in year two and beyond.
Q: Who’s in the lead for the two guard spots?
A: Right now, Alex Cappa and Dylan Parham are getting the first team reps at guard. Based on the reports during OTAs, it seems like Cappa has the best chance to start, and Parham will be battling with Meredith for the other spot. Rookie Caleb Rogers is also in the mix at right guard with Cappa, but Rogers is the biggest longshot of the bunch.
For those who care, that’s not the lineup I’d go with. I’d prefer Meredith and Parham as the starters, but I understand where the coaching staff is coming from with Cappa at this stage. He’s a veteran and has a high football IQ, which is his biggest strength right now. Last year, he was the one making a lot of the protection calls for the Cincinnati Bengals.
Given how young the Raiders are on the interior o-line, especially with a second-year center in Jackson Powers-Johnson, the coaching staff wants Cappa out there to make sure the young guys know what they’re doing. Who knows how long that will last, but I get the...
