Meet the initial 53-man roster for the Raiders
Derek Hegna
Host · Writer
After a busy day across the league, the Las Vegas Raiders and the rest of the NFL have officially locked in their 53-man rosters.
The Raiders were involved in some of the wheeling and dealing throughout the day, particularly trading reserve offensive lineman Jordan Meredith to the New York Jets. Now, the team has the initial roster that they will be rolling into Week One with when the Miami Dolphins come to town.
While there is still the possibility of roster movement, especially with the Raiders holding first priority on the waiver wire, this will be the group relied upon in Klint Kubiak’s rookie year as head coach.
Here is everything you need to know about how the 53-man roster shook out.
Quarterbacks (3): Kirk Cousins, Fernando Mendoza, Aidan O’Connell
No surprises here, although keep tabs on O’Connell in case an offer comes around later. Other than that, this should be the quarterback room for the season.
Running Backs/Fullbacks (4): Ashton Jeanty, Dylan Laube, Mike Washington Jr., Connor Heyward
Jeanty being officially on the roster to start is a tremendous sign for his recovery from the ankle injury he sustained late in training camp. While his Week One availability is still in question, staying with only three running backs and Heyward as the designated fullback is a good sign for the long term.
Wide Receivers (6): Jack Bech, Malik Benson, Jalen Nailor, Dont’e Thornton Jr., Dareke Young
Thornton missed most of training camp due to an undisclosed injury, so he will have some ground to cover and fast. Other than that, this receiver group wound up as expected.
Tight Ends (3): Brock Bowers, Michael Mayer, Ian Thomas
This group was set in stone almost from the beginning. Carter Runyon will begin the year on injured reserve with a designation to return, although that will likely be to the practice squad.
Offensive Line (9): Spencer Burford, DJ Glaze, Charles Grant, Tyler Linderbaum, Atonio Mafi, Kolton Miller, Jackson Powers-Johnson, Caleb Rogers, Trey Zuhn III
Eight of the spots were already locked in, but the Raiders seem to believe they have something in Mafi. His run-blocking prowess and solid game against the San Francisco 49ers (77.4 Pro Football Focus grade) gave him the nod over Meredith and Will Putnam.
Defensive Tackles (6): Thomas Booker IV, Adam Butler, Folorunso Fatukasi, Tonka Hemingway, Jonah Laulu, JJ Pegues
A strong final showing was not enough to sneak Brandon Cleveland into this positional group, but he should be one of the first call-ups from the practice squad. Watch this group to see if a waiver claim knocks anyone out.
Edge Rushers (4): Maxx Crosby, Patrick Johnson, Malcolm Koonce, Kwity Paye
Interesting developments in this group. Third-round rookie Keyron Crawford’s ankle injury has him placed on season-ending injured reserve and likely opened the door for Johnson. A surprise cut, however, is undrafted free agent Cian Slone, who could be a waiver claim after a strong camp.
Linebackers (4): Nakobe Dean, Tommy Eichenberg, Cody Lindenberg, Quay Walker
It was widely expected that Segun Olubi would land a spot as a designated special teams gunner, but it appears the Raiders must have plans that allowed them to go light in the middle of the defense.
Cornerbacks (6): Taron Johnson, Hezekiah Masses, Jermod McCoy, Darien Porter, Decamerion Richardson, Eric Stokes
Richardson won out over Greedy Vance for a roster spot, and the group in front of him looks steady enough. Should see minimal changes, if any.
Safeties (5): Jeremy Chinn, Dalton Johnson, Tristin McCollum, Isaiah Pola-Mao, Treydan Stukes
Keeping five safeties is one of the more intriguing decisions in the early going. McCollum’s presence on the 53-man roster could be the special teams plan in lieu of Olubi, but that could change after waivers.
Specialists (3): A.J. Cole, Matt Gay, Alex Ward
This trio was locked in when they played the entire preseason finale against San Francisco. Only real question is if the plan is still to retain Kansei Matsuzawa via the IPP designation.
