Raiders 53-man roster projection: A shakeup at a skill position headlines the biggest change not many saw coming
The Las Vegas Raiders 53-man roster looks a lot different under Pete Carroll than it did last season.
Roster cutdowns are almost here, and that means the Las Vegas Raiders and every other team in the NFL must get their 90-man offseason roster down to 53 players soon. And most teams will do that pretty quickly after the final preseason game.
It’s moments like these that truly make the preseason so important. This is where players who didn’t get drafted, or are trying to make an NFL comeback, do just that. The Raiders have a few guys in line to do that, too, as their roster is starting to take shape. The Raiders are set to play the Arizona Cardinals in their last preseason game, and then we will find out a lot about this team and regime.
With all that being said, let’s dive into a projection, or prediction, of what that roster would look like
Note: Players with a single asterisk (*) are 2025 draft picks, and players with double asterisks (**) are 2025 undrafted free agents.
Raiders 53-man roster projection
Quarterback (2)
IN: Geno Smith, Aidan O’Connell
OUT: Cam Miller*
The skinny: The Raiders went and got their guy at quarterback this offseason. Geno Smith is the franchise guy until he’s not, and the backup position will be held down by the player with a track record of being a starter. O’Connell has been a starter for most of his career, and having that experience over the former Division II QB, who’s also a rookie, is just more valuable. Make no mistake about it, Miller is coming for that spot.
Practice squad prediction: Cam Miller makes the practice squad.
Runningback (4)
IN: Ashton Jeanty*, Zamir White, Raheem Mostert, Chris Collier
OUT: Sincere McCormick, Dylan Laube
The skinny: The shakeup comes with McCormick, the back everyone thought was penciled in as at least RB3, let alone RB4, is on the outside looking in. Yes, he had a great season last year when he was healthy, but that doesn’t mean he is the same after the injury. And that doesn’t mean this new regime likes him. When you break down the production from preseason, mixed in with the unofficial depth chart the Raiders put out, it makes sense why Collier would get the nod.
Practice squad prediction: Sincere McCormick and Dylan Laube
Wide Receivers (7)
IN: Jakobi Meyers, Dont’e Thornton Jr.*, Jack Bech*, Tre Tucker, Alex Bachman, Colin Johnson, Phillip Dorsett
OUT: Tommy Mellott*, Marqueze Callaway, Shedrick Jackson, Ketron Jackson Jr.
The skinny: The biggest question about the Raiders’ wide receiver room when predicting the 53-man roster is whether they will keep six or seven. Due to their depth not being the best, they could keep seven, allowing players, like Dorsett, who have been great all camp, to make the roster.
Practice squad prediction: Tommy Mellott and Shedrick Jackson.
Tight Ends (4)
IN: Brock Bowers, Michael Mayer, Ian Thomas, Albert Okwuegbunam
OUT: Qadir Ismail, Carter Runyon**
The skinny: They could end up keeping three rather than four tight ends. The three main ones are pretty clear, but if they kept four, I could see them having a tough time deciding between Okwuegbunam and Ismail, both of whom have made decent plays during camp.
Practice squad prediction: Qadir Ismail.
Offensive line (9)
IN: Kolton Miller, Dylan Parham, Jordan Meredith, Jackson Powers-Johnson, D.J. Glaze, Alex Cappa, Thayer Munford, Caleb Rogers*, Charles Grant*
OUT: Dalton Wagner, Atonio Mafi, Parker Clements**, Gottlieb Ayedze
The skinny: The main guys of the offensive line are pretty much known. Now, it’s just about who is starting and who is the backup at certain positions. Of course, there is also the fact that we don’t know if they want to keep 11, 12, or even 13.
Practice squad prediction: Dalton Wagner, Atonio Mafi, Laki Tasi (IPP)
Defensive line (9)
IN: Maxx Crosby, Jonah Laulu, Adam Butler, Malcolm Koonce, Charles Snowden, Tyree Wilson, Thomas Booker, J.J. Pegues*, Tonka Hemingway*
OUT: Andre Carter, Jan Joyner**, Jahfari Harvey, Keondre Coburn, Ovie Oghoufo, Treven Mae’ae**, Tank Booker**
The skinny: The depth of the defensive line looks much better now than it did at the start of training camp, or even months before that. This group is similar to the offensive line, where we know who the players are, but we don’t know their order on the depth chart or how many players they want to keep.
Practice squad prediction: Zach Carter, Leki Fotu, Jah Joyner**.
Linebacker (5)
IN: Elandon Roberts, Devin White, Germaine Pratt, Jamal Adams, Tommy Eichenberg
OUT: Cody Lindenberg*, Jaylon Smith, Matt Jones**, Amari Gainer, Michael Barrett
The skinny: The Raiders addressed the linebacker position a ton in the offseason, with some big moves and small moves, but all of them were cheap moves. You have to think that the big four make the roster, especially if they decide to just keep four. After that, I think they like Eichenberg the most, but I could certainly see them keeping Lindenberg or Gainer instead.
Practice squad prediction: Cody Lindenberg, Amari Gainer.
Safety (4)
IN: Jeremy Chinn, Isaiah Pola-Mao, Terrell Edmunds, Chris Smith
OUT: Trey Taylor, Thomas Harper, Hudson Clark**
The skinny: The Raiders have their two starters established. From there, it’s about who they want as backups. Smith gets the nod because he has been with the Raiders the last three years and has a bit of that experience, whereas Clark doesn’t, since he’s an undrafted free agent rookie. They just signed Edmunds, who is a pretty experienced guy at the position, so he takes that other spot.
Practice squad prediction: Trey Taylor, Hudson Clark**
Cornerback (6)
IN: Darien Porter*, Darnay Holmes, Eric Stokes, Decameron Richardson, Greedy Vance**, Kyu Blu Kelley
OUT: JT Woods, Sam Webb, John Humphrey**
The skinny: A Pete Carroll defense is going to keep six cornerbacks, for sure. But the question remains, who stays and who goes? The most notable thing is that undrafted free agent rookie Greedy Vance has had a strong offseason and could make the 53-man roster.
Practice squad prediction: JT Woods and Sam Webb.
Special Teams (3)
Kicker: Daniel Carlson
Punter: AJ Cole
Long Snapper: Jacob Bobenmeyer
