Silver And Black Pride
Which rookies will be immediate starters and what holes remain on the roster?
Now that the 2024 NFL Draft is in the books, let’s take a look at an updated version of the Las Vegas Raiders depth chart. Which rookies will step in and be immediate starters and what holes remain on the roster?
Starter: Gardner Minshew
Backups: Aidan O’Connell, Anthony Brown Jr., Bradley Carter (R)
The Raiders’ Week 1 starting quarterback is still a mystery as Minshew and O’Connell will battle it out for the job during the summer. We can spend the next several months endlessly debating who’s better between those two, but it’s probably safe to assume the free-agent signing will begin training camp with the first team at this point. That being said, both QBs will likely get reps with the starting offense throughout the practices leading up to the regular season.
Starter: Zamir White
Backups: Alexander Mattison, Ameer Abdullah, Dylan Laube (R), Brittain Brown, Sincere McCormick, Tyreik McAllister
Las Vegas is expected to shift toward a committee approach at running back this fall, meaning the ‘starter’ here isn’t as important as it is with other positions.
White, Mattison and Abdullah are still the favorites to be the three-headed monster out of the backfield, but Laube does pose a threat to Abdullah as the third-down back. The New Hampshire product is known for his receiving skills, it’s just a matter of how quickly he can make the transition from FCS to the NFL and hold up in pass protection.
Meanwhile, Brown has a chance to surprise people during training camp and potentially take Mattison’s spot. However, the 2022 seventh-round pick is about to hit a “now or never” point with the organization as he’ll be entering year three and has yet to record an offensive snap in the regular season.
Starters: Davante Adams, Jakobi Meyers, Tre Tucker
Backups: Michael Gallup, DJ Turner, Kristian Wilkerson, Jeff Foreman (R), Ramel Keyton (R), Lideatrick Griffin (R)
How many ‘starting’ wide receivers the Raiders have will depend on whether they use two tight ends or not, and who lines up on the team’s first play of the game can vary from week to week. That being said, it’s very clear who the team’s top three wideouts are.
The late addition of Gallup is intriguing though. For one reason or another, it’s been several years since he’s been productive, but he has a 1,000-yard and 800-yard season on his résumé. That’s not bad for a fourth option, assuming he makes the team. Also, look out for last year’s preseason standout, Wilkerson, to make a push for more playing time during the summer.
Starter: Michael Mayer
Backups: Brock Bowers (R), Harrison Bryant, Zach Gentry, Cole Fotheringham, John Samuel Shenker
Here comes the outrage about the Raiders first-round pick not being listed as a ‘starter’! Again, who or how many starting tight ends the offense has will depend on the game plan,...
