Raiders 53-man roster projection entering 2023 NFL preseason Week 3

The Las Vegas Raiders have managed to put together a better roster on paper than they had last year. Then again, that's not very hard to do. Last season's roster had plenty of holes, and this season's, we will find some of those filled.But they have 90 guys on the roster right now, and that […]

Justin Churchill — College Football & NFL Trending News Writer

Aug 23, 2023 11:00 PM EDT

The Las Vegas Raiders have managed to put together a better roster on paper than they had last year. Then again, that's not very hard to do. Last season's roster had plenty of holes, and this season's, we will find some of those filled.

But they have 90 guys on the roster right now, and that August 29 day to cut down to 53 is coming up quickly.

Here is how I predict the roster to shape up:

Note: Players with one asterisk (*) represent 2023 draft picks and players with double asterisks (**) represent 2023 undrafted free agents.

Quarterback (3)

IN: Jimmy Garoppolo, Aidan O'Connell*, Brian Hoyer

OUT: Chase Garbers

It's no secret that the Raiders may have found something in Aidan O'Connell now. He has taken the league by storm in the preseason, that is. However, we knew he would make the roster, and we knew the other two would as well. The quarterback controversy now is, who is QB2? Either way, those three make it no matter what. O'Connell is looking like he could be the steal of the draft.

Running Back (5)

IN: Josh Jacobs, Zamir White, Ameer Abdullah, Brandon Bolden

OUT: Brittain Brown, Damien Williams, Sincere McCormick, Darwin Thompson

Most are assuming Jacobs will be back in time for Week 1, as a recent report states that league sources think so, so we know who the starter is. However, this group looks pretty much the same as it did last season.

Fullback (1)

IN: Jakob Johnson

OUT: N/A

The Raiders are one of the few teams left in the NFL that uses a fullback, and they love Johnson. He's the only one on the roster.

Wide Receiver (6)

IN: Davante Adams, Jakobi Meyers, Hunter Renfrow, Tre Tucker*, Deandre Carter, Phillip Dorsett

OUT: Keelan Cole Sr., Cam Sims, Kristian Wilkerson, Chris Lacy, Isaiah Zuber

The Las Vegas Raiders have one of the deepest wide receiver rooms in the entire league when you account for the current 90-man roster. So, this position group is one of the more difficult when it comes down to decisions. The four guys that are a lock are Adams, Meyers, Renfrow, and Tucker. The first three are being paid a lot of money, and Tucker is a third-round pick from this last draft. Now it comes down to Deandre Carter, who should make it because of his ability to be a returner, and Phillip Dorsett, who already knows the offense from his past.

Tight End (3)

IN: Michael Mayer*, Austin Hooper, Jesper Horsted

OUT: Jacob Hollister, John Samuel Shenker**, Cole Fotheringham

The Raiders love the three guys they currently have at tight end, and honestly, the depth they have is nice. Hooper, a veteran, hasn't had a great camp, but you assume he will get it together. Horsted and Mayer have had great offseasons. The other guy here who made some noise was Cole Fatheringham, as he had two pretty good preseason games already.

Offensive line (9)

IN: Kolton Miller, Dylan Parham, Andre James, Alex Bars, Jermaine Eluemunor, Thayer Munford Jr., Greg Van Roten, Justin Herron, McClendon Curtis**

OUT: Brandon Parker, Hroniss Grasu, Dalton Wagner**, Netane Muti, Jordan Meredith, Vitaliy Gurman

The Raiders feel very confident in the depth they have on the offensive line. As of right now, I have Jermaine Eluemunor starting at left tackle; however, I would not be surprised if Thayer Munford took the job. The Raiders' offensive line looks to be a tad better than it was last season.

Defensive Line (9)

IN: Maxx Crosby, Bilal Nichols, Jerry Tillery, Chandler Jones, Tyree Wilson*, Matthew Butler, Byron Young*, Malcolm Koonce, Neil Farrell Jr.

OUT: John Jenkins, Nesta Jade Silvera*, Jordan Willis, Adam Butler, Adam Plant**, George Tarlas**, David Agoha**

The Las Vegas Raiders still have a ton of issues with their defensive line. The biggest one has to be the depth at the defensive tackle position, where it's looked at as a weak one. After teams make other cuts, look for them to sign some guys to try and improve that.

Linebacker (5)

IN: Divine Deablo, Robert Spillane, Luke Masterson, Curtis Bolton, Amari Burney

OUT: Darien Butler, Kana’i Mauga, Drake Thomas**

This is another one of the Raiders' biggest issues. They don't really have "a guy," per se, in their linebacker corps who this really good at one thing. They are all pretty average. However, Curtis Bolton has made a late push to solidify his roster spot by having some amazing preseason showcases.

Cornerback (6)

IN: Marcus Peters, Jakorian Bennett*, Nate Hobbs, David Long Jr., Duke Shelley, Amik Robertson

OUT: Tyler Hall, Brandon Facyson, Sam Webb, Ike Brown, Bryce Cosby, Azizi Hearn**, Jordan Perryman**

Another deep position group that wasn't deep last season is the cornerback unit. The addition of Marcus Peters and Jakorian Bennett could be huge. Ultimately, the guys I have made it did what they were supposed to do in training camp. The guys who didn't usually make a lot of mistakes. I will say that look for Sam Webb to be a guy that may get picked up by another team.

Safety (5)

IN: Marcus Epps, Tre’von Moehrig, Chris Smith II*, Roderic Teamer

OUT: Isaiah Pola-Mao, Jaquan Johnson, Jaydon Grant**

The one guy who barely didn't make the cut is Pola-Mao, the nephew of legendary safety Troy Polamalu. He had a great preseason, but ultimately, the guys ahead of him are a tad bit better and know the defense better. If he doesn't get picked up by another team, look for the Raiders to keep him and develop his game.

Special Teams (3)

IN: Daniel Carlson (K), A.J. Cole (P), Jacob Bobenmoyer (LS)

OUT: N/A

This one is pretty obvious, as the Raiders have one of the best kickers in the league and one of the best punters in the league. Those two aren't going anywhere.

The Raiders don't have high expectations this year, unlike last season. But that may end up being good for them, as they can then fly under the radar, much like the roster is already doing. They have a pretty decent roster, and it's much better than last season. They could shake some things up come Week 1 when they play the Denver Broncos.