5 wide-open position battles for Raiders
If you really want to get down to it, there are only a few positions that are completely settled for the Raiders at this very moment. But there are levels to this. Some offer a pretty good idea of who is on track to be the starter. While others the picture is far less clear.
This is about those positions at which the picture is quite unclear. Ones you can’t with any kind of certainty pin down a sure starter, or even, in some cases, a depth chart.
For that we look at five particular positions which will likely take through training camp to settle.
Right tackle
(AP Photo/John Munson)
There are probably about five guys who could potentially take this spot. They include last year’s top pick Alex Leatherwood, incumbent Brandon Parker, journeyman Jermaine Eluemunor, guard Denzelle Good, and rookie seventh-round pick Thayer Munford.
One could make a case for any of these guys to stand out from the rest. But the truth is no one really knows how it will shake out.
Also see: Right tackle looking like free-for-all for Raiders
Center
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With the trading of Rodney Hudson to Arizona, the Raiders turned to Andre James as their starting center and gave him an extension as a vote of confidence. His struggles were noted, albeit eclipsed by the issues with Leatherwood and Parker.
James’s top competition as of now is third-round rookie Dylan Parham. And new coaching staffs often prefer those players they choose to sign or draft over those who were signed or drafted by the previous staff. And for good reason. They run a different system than the previous staff. While James may have suited Tom Cable just fine, he may not be what new offensive line coach Carmen Bricillo is looking for in a center.
The Raiders also added Brett Heggie and Hroniss Grasu, both of whom have experience at the center position. Grasu in particular was a standout center at Oregon who was a third-round pick by the Bears in 2015, starting every game as a rookie at the center position.
Linebacker
You figure Pro Bowler Denzel Perryman has one of the linebacker spots in hand. But the other linebacker position is not so settled. Divine Deablo will have some competition to hold onto that job in 2022. The team added three linebackers in free agency in Kyle Fackrell, Jayon Brown, and Micah Kiser.
Fackrell is somewhat of a pass-rushing outside linebacker, while the other two are off-ball linebackers. Deablo’s background as a defensive back could help him have a leg up in the coverage arena. But the team seems to be showing signs of a shift toward a 3-4 base, which would play more to the strengths of the other three. It will be interesting to watch.
Wide receiver
(AP Photo/Michael Ainsworth)
Today’s NFL features three starting wide receivers. Two of those spots are locked up by Davante Adams and Hunter Renfrow. Adams plays the X receiver and Renfrow is the slot receiver. That leaves the Z receiver position yet to be determined.
The Z is typically the speedy deep threat. The Raiders opted not to take anyone in the draft who can do that, so either they will have to let the players on the roster now battle it out or add a free agent at some point. The leading candidates as of now would appear to be former Chiefs starter Demarcus Robinson and Tyron Johnson, who averaged almost 20 yards per catch in 2020 for the Chargers.
Others vying for playing time include X receivers Bryan Edwards, Mack Hollins, and Dillon Stoner, and slot WR DJ Turner.
Guard
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This position is mostly a fallback for the center and tackle positions. It may take until the dust from the free-for-all at tackle settles to get a better picture of who will line up at guard.
Last year’s starters heading into camp were Richie Incognito and Denzelle Good. Both were injured by the start of the season. John Simpson started all 16 games at left guard while Jermaine Eluemunor started the first few games until Alex Leatherwood was moved inside for the final 12 games.
Good, Leatherwood, and Eluemunor could all be considered for the right tackle job with whoever losing out bumping inside. The team also added Alex Bars and Jordan Meredith and drafted Dylan Parham, who will battle for the starting center position but who has a great deal of experience at guard should that be where he starts his career in the NFL.
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