Silver And Black Pride
Early look at who is standing out in either direction
The Las Vegas Raiders opened up training camp a little more than a week ago, and while it’s still early, let’s take a look at a few winners and losers to see who’s standing out so far.
This has been building since OTAs and minicamp; it’s starting to feel like Bennett might be the odd man out in the cornerback room. He’s taken some reps with the first-team defense, but Darien Porter and Eric Stokes seem to be the clear starters right now, while the third-year pro has also been running with the threes occasionally, per Silver & Black Sports Network’s Jesse Merrick.
Also, Decamerion Richardson has been drawing some praise so far, while most of the talk centered around the 2023 third-round pick is about him running with the backups. How much playing time Bennett gets in the preseason will be noteworthy.
Everyone knows Thornton can run and be a deep threat for the Silver and Black. However, his development continues to be ahead of schedule, and he has become one of Geno Smith’s favorite targets, according to The Athletic’s Tashan Reed.
“Thornton has been the first-string “X” receiver since OTAs and looks like he could make an immediate impact,” Reed wrote on July 28. “His physical talent was no secret, but he has also impressed with his improved route running.
‘“My whole college career, and especially going into this previous draft process, the biggest knock on me was that I wasn’t a true route runner when it comes to intermediate and medium routes,” Thornton said Monday. “Just being able to display that at a high level while I’m playing in the NFL now, I guess in a way it’s like proving people wrong.”’
Similar to Bennett, many assumed that Powers-Johnson was a shoo-in for the Raiders’ starting center job while Jordan Meredith and Dylan Parham compete at left guard. However, it’s actually been Powers-Johnson and Meredith battling it out, where both players have been taking reps with the first team offense.
That could be viewed as an opportunity for Smith to get snaps with Meredith and Aidan O’Connell with JPJ to prepare for an injury at either position. But head coach Pete Carroll confirmed a position battle is occurring at center (h/t Levi Edwards of the team’s website). So, surprisingly, the second-year pro is fighting to retain his post from last season.
Christian Wilkins’ shocking release opens up a starting spot on the defensive line, creating a great opportunity for Laulu. He’s the favorite to win that job in the trenches after drawing praise from the right people: Carroll and defensive coordinator Patrick Graham.
“Jonah hasn’t done anything but the right stuff so far, he’s been on it,” Carroll said on July 25. “I found him watching film coming off the last season before we even got back...
