Sportsnaut
On Thursday, the Las Vegas Raiders went through the last practice before their final preseason game. In that period, they rotated in a new slot cornerback, while Ashton Jeanty continued to improve on an overlooked aspect of his role.
After a day off from practice with hamstring tightness, Kyu Blu Kelly returned to action as the starting nickelback, per Raiders.com Levi Edwards.
Kelly seems primed for a key role in the secondary this year. He’s lined up with the first-team defense on the boundary and in the slot over the previous week.
According to Pro Football Focus, Kelly took 18 snaps on the outside in both of the Raiders’ exhibition games. Though even if Eric Stokes and rookie third-rounder Darien Porter claim those spots for the regular season, he could rotate with safety Jeremy Chinn for responsibilities on the inside.
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In Week 2 of the preseason, Ashton Jeanty showcased his ability to break tackles, catch the football and handle the physicality of the big league. Yet the coaching staff thinks he can improve in one particular area.
Throughout training camp, running backs coach Deland McCullough has worked extensively on Jeanty’s pass blocking out of the backfilled.
“That was a major thing coming in, just having him switch his pass protection technique,” McCullough said via Las Vegas Review-Journal‘s Adam Hill.
“I spoke to him a lot about that during the interview process leading up to the draft and then getting him here and now being able to work with him on it every day. He’s grown immensely.
“It’s one of those things where you get what you emphasize, at any position, but we emphasize the protection piece as far as the technique, tight hands, great punch, reset the feet and finish the defender.”
In three collegiate terms at Boise State, Jeanty caught 80 passes for 862 yards and six touchdowns. Offensive coordinator Chip Kelly can feature him as a three-down tailback, but the rookie first-rounder must be able to protect quarterback Geno Smith to see the field in that capacity at the pro level.
According to Pro Football Focus, Jeanty hasn’t allowed a pressure on three pass-blocking snaps in two preseason games.
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While most teams will sit starters for the final week of the preseason, head coach Pete Carroll might take a different approach.
Las Vegas Review-Journal‘s Vincent Bonsignore believes “the feeling around the Raiders” is that prominent players will see the field against the Arizona Cardinals.
If so, it makes sense for a team with rookies set to take on featured positions on both sides of the ball and contested battles all over the depth chart, especially in the secondary.
On Saturday, several players could win competitions or audition for the 31...
