Las Vegas Raiders inside linebacker Nick Kwiatkoski, center left, (44) and linebacker Nicholas Morrow (50) run a drill during an off-season practice at the Raiders practice facility in Henderson Wednesday, June 9, 2021.
Wednesday, Aug. 11, 2021 | 2 a.m.
The Las Vegas Raiders are now in the middle of their third week of training camp, with only two practices remaining before Saturday’s preseason opener against the Seattle Seahawks at Allegiant Stadium.
There’s been enough time to evaluate the whole roster, so let’s do just that and sweep through the entire offense and defense.
Here’s one player who’s stood out at every position group.
Quarterback: Derek Carr
This may come off as an overly obvious choice but highlighting anyone else would be disingenuous. For the second straight camp, Carr has shown a wide gap between himself and the other quarterbacks on the roster — even though one of those quarterbacks is a former Heisman Trophy winner and No. 2 overall pick.
That’s not to say backup Marcus Mariota has been poor, though his passing efficiency has cooled off since minicamp and OTAs. He’s thrown the vast majority of training-camp interceptions, far more than Carr and third-stringer Nathan Peterman combined.
Peterman has developed into a luxury as an emergency quarterback given his comfortability entering his fourth season in coach Jon Gruden’s offense, but he’s nowhere near Carr. The Raiders’ veteran starting quarterback looks poised for his third straight strong season.
Running back: Josh Jacobs
Las Vegas Raiders running back Josh Jacobs (28) carries the ball during the Raiders Training Camp at the Intermountain Healthcare Performance Center in Henderson Friday, Aug. 6, 2021. STEVE MARCUS
Really going out on a limb to start, huh? But, again, there’s no other choice.
The Raiders, for better or for worse, want to be a run-first team and Jacobs looks up to the task after somewhat of a sophomore slump. Yes, Jacobs made his first Pro Bowl last year, but his numbers didn’t justify it as he was one of only eight qualified running backs in the NFL to average less than 4 yards per carry.
The former Offensive Rookie of the Year runner-up looks refreshed and refocused heading into Year 3, though. He’s practiced more often than he did last training camp, when the Raiders’ coaching staff made rest a priority, and has looked as quick and strong as ever.
“Going into year three, mentally, you’re fast with everything you do,” Jacobs said. “I know we’re in camp right now, but it just feels like normal practice. I think that’s the biggest thing I have as far as the standpoint coming into this year.”
Wide receiver: Zay Jones
Bryan Edwards might have been the co-choice here before Tuesday’s practice when he dropped two passes, including one that turned into an interception. Jones seemingly hasn’t dropped any passes through two weeks, and it feels like he gets targeted about 50 times every day.
It’s been somewhat of a surprise since Jones was on the fringes of the roster coming into camp, at least before Gruden gave him an unprovoked shoutout during his opening news conference.
“I don’t want anybody to forget Zay Jones,” Gruden said. “I don’t think we have a better conditioned athlete than Zay Jones.”
No one is forgetting about him now, as the veteran is running crisp routes, getting open and, again, catching everything in sight. Edwards and Henry Ruggs are almost surely still going to be the Week 1 starters, but with the way Jones is practicing, he’s also going to merit playing time.
Offensive line: Alex Leatherwood
Offensive line coach Tom Cable worked obsessively with the Raiders’ first-round draft pick earlier this summer at organized team activities (OTAs) and minicamp. He spent so much time with Leatherwood during practices that it was fair to wonder if the Alabama product wasn’t quite as ready for the NFL as the organization had hoped when it selected him.
No one is wondering that anymore. During training camp, Leatherwood has appeared to fit in with the Raiders’ rebuilt starting offensive line seamlessly.
Many offensive teammates — from Carr to Richie Incognito — have praised Leatherwood. Cable recently characterized the 22-year-old as a fast-learner, highly competitive and wise beyond his years.
“As he fails, he learns,” Cable said. “That’s the really cool part: You see him every day just do something a little better. This preseason will be important for him, but he’s been excellent.”
Tight end: Foster Moreau
This comes with a caveat that Darren Waller hasn’t been practicing — out of caution, and not a serious injury, according to Gruden — but that may not even be a necessary qualifier. Moreau has been that outstanding.
The third-year tight end out of LSU got a loud cheer in the Raiders’ public practice on Sunday at Allegiant Stadium when he caught a long seam pass from Derek Carr for a touchdown, but it was nothing out of the ordinary. Moreau has made a similar play almost every day at practice.
After a promising rookie season in 2019, Moreau took a step back last year coming off knee surgery and with fewer opportunities at his disposal. But he might be the surest breakout candidate on the roster, as the Raiders could have one of the best two-tight-end packages in the league when Waller returns.
Defensive tackle: Gerald McCoy
The recent free agent signing hasn’t even practiced with the team yet beyond individual drills, but his presence is still being felt in a major way. In the four practices since he signed, McCoy has been constantly encouraging teammates and sharing tips and tricks with his fellow defensive linemen.
“My job is to be a coach right now,” McCoy said Tuesday. “I’m coaching, getting my feet back underneath me and then when they say, ‘Hey, Gerald, it’s time to get reps, then I’ll be a player-coach and step-by-step, when it’s opening week, then it’ll be go time.”
McCoy, the former No. 3 overall pick best known for nine seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, is easily the most decorated player on the Raiders’ defense as a six-time Pro Bowler. But he’s 33 years old and coming off a ruptured quadriceps suffered in training camp with the Dallas Cowboys last year.
The Raiders were blown away after bringing him in for a workout last week, and now he’s expected to be a part of the defensive tackle rotation alongside the likes of Johnathan Hankins, Quinton Jefferson and Solomon Thomas.
“I will be on the field at some point and whatever reps they give me, I’m going to give this team all I have,” McCoy said.
Defensive end: Malcolm Koonce
Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Malcolm Koonce (51) attends practice at the Raiders Headquarters in Henderson Wednesday, July 28, 2021.
Maybe the rookie Koonce should no longer be listed among this position group, because on Tuesday he practiced with the linebackers for the first time. Take it as a sign that the Raiders are determined to find a way to get this year’s third-round pick out of Buffalo on the field however possible.
Koonce’s performance for the past two weeks has demanded snaps.
“I’m going to get in where I can fit in,” he said Tuesday. “Wherever (defensive coordinator) Gus (Bradley) or the coaches think I can be the most successful or help the team the most, throw me in there because I want to play.”
It’s been easy to see how Koonce led the MAC last year with nine sacks in a shortened season. He’s got a lightning-quick first step and pass-rushing moves more fluid than the typical rookie can manage.
After years of not being able to supply adequate pressure on opposing quarterbacks, the Raiders have a logjam at edge rusher. Koonce is making things even more complicated in that regard, but it’s a good problem to have.
Linebacker: Nicholas Morrow
Gruden calls Morrow one of his favorite players, which is important because he’s going to be seeing a lot of the fifth-year player this season. More or less a complementary linebacker in his first four seasons with the team, Morrow is now a centerpiece in the new scheme Bradley is implementing.
He’s currently listed atop the depth chart at middle linebacker, knocking Nick Kwiatkoski down to a backup role, and there’s no reason to believe that will change. Morrow is one of the most well-rounded players on the Raiders’ defense as he’s adequate at blitzing, run-stuffing and covering.
He hasn’t previously had the opportunity to really stand out in one specific area but that may be changing this year now that he’s planted into a position. Morrow moved around throughout last season and played every linebacker spot.
Gruden always believed the team could better maximize Morrow’s talent, and in Bradley, he might have found the right coordinator to finally do so.
Cornerback: Nate Hobbs
One of the most important position battles coming into training camp was the fight for the Week 1 nickel cornerback spot between the rookie Hobbs and second-year player Amik Robertson.
Nevin Lawson is expected to fill the role eventually but he’s serving a two-game PED suspension to start the year. So far, there hasn’t been much competition to serve as Lawson’s fill-in — it’s been all Hobbs.
The University of Illinois product is getting more snaps and making more plays than Robertson. It looks like the Raiders may have unearthed a gem in the fifth round of this year’s draft.
The preseason will be vitally important for players like Hobbs and Koonce, considering it’s their first game action, but they haven’t done anything yet to indicate they’re ill-prepared.
Safety: Johnathan Abram
At Sunday’s unpadded practice, a defensive back flew in to make a tackle on Jones without enough caution in a drill that wasn’t supposed to be at full speed and hurt himself. From the media-viewing area, it was impossible to see the number and therefore easy to assume the culprit was Abram.
It wasn’t. It was Trayvon Mullen, who didn’t return to practice with a stinger but was healthy enough to participate Tuesday.
The incident was easy to write off as a one-time mistake for Mullen, but it would have been more troublesome if Abram was the offender. It’s the exact type of thing the Raiders are hoping to guard against with their third-year safety this season, as he played out of control at times last year and cost the team.
Gruden and Bradley are trying to get Abram to be more measured this season, and he’s off to a positive start. Abram has been steady throughout training camp but it’s just as much about what he isn’t doing than what he is.
“John has done everything we asked him to do,” defensive backs coach Ron Milus said. “We asked him, ‘Hey John, can you come in a little bit lighter?’ What did he do? He came in a little bit lighter. OK, John, you know, he chirps a little bit, so it was, ‘Turn your volume down just a little bit, John.’ And he’s done that. I think it’s going to make him a better player.”
Case Keefer can be reached at 702-948-2790 or [email protected]. Follow Case on Twitter at twitter.com/casekeefer.
