Raiders rookie report: Searching for immediate help beyond Ashton Jeanty

Sports

add

HENDERSON, Nev. — With its conservative approach to free agency this past offseason, the Las Vegas Raiders’ front office put a lot of pressure on the draft class to make an immediate impact. The Raiders need key contributors to emerge from that group right away to field a competitive team in 2025.

“I’m not hesitant to play young guys,” coach Pete Carroll said earlier this month. “And it isn’t all on them — it’s on us to make sure that we ask them to do things that they’re capable of doing at this time.”

It’s still too early to make firm judgments about the rookies, but we’ve learned plenty about the group through training camp and the first couple of preseason games. Here’s an assessment of where every member of the 11-player class stands.

RB Ashton Jeanty

Jeanty has been as good as advertised; he’s an explosive, elusive and physical runner with an uncanny ability to break tackles and maintain his balance after contact. He’s also a better receiving threat than he gets credit for. He’s adept at turning short passes into big gains, but he also has the route running ability to separate from defenders downfield.

Pass blocking is an area that remains a work in progress, but the Raiders are confident Jeanty will grow to be reliable in that area as well. He’s a complete back who will receive a ton of touches both on the ground and through the air. He should be right in the thick of the hunt for Offensive Rookie of the Year.

“I’m here,” Jeanty said after flashing in the preseason game against the San Francisco 49ers last Saturday. “I’ve arrived, and it’s time to keep going and make plays for this team.”

WR Jack Bech

Bech is firmly the fourth receiver in the rotation. He was expected to be a starter when the Raiders drafted him in the second round, but it’s been a struggle for him to justify many reps with the first-team offense. He’s most comfortable working from the slot, but the Raiders already have a superior option there in Jakobi Meyers (and when Meyers isn’t lined up in the slot, tight end Brock Bowers often is).

Bech was going to have to show he could win consistently when lined up as an outside receiver — thus far, that hasn’t materialized. He lacks noteworthy long speed and is still learning how to beat press coverage at the line of scrimmage. The possibility of Bech starting at some point this year can’t be ruled out, but he’ll certainly be a backup when Week 1 arrives.

CB Darien Porter

Porter converted from receiver to cornerback in college and is still in the process of learning the nuances of the position. He has a ton of physical talent, but he’ll need to continue refining his technique to become more consistent in coverage. Additionally, he needs to get stronger and be more reliable as a tackler. The coaching staff believes that will all come in time for Porter, but in the meantime, he’s competing with third-year cornerback Kyu Blu Kelly for a starting role.

“(Porter) is really technique-solid, man. He’s really picked up on the things that we’ve asked and emphasized,” Carroll said Sunday. “He just needs more plays; he just needs to be out there and making more hits and tackles and finishing plays off. … You’ve got to be ready when the moment rises, but he’s been really solid now, and I’ve been really impressed.

“What’s happened is Kyu Blu really, really made the push now. He’s really come on, and he’s done a really nice job. He’s aggressive and comfortable and is making things happen.”

OL Caleb Rogers

Rogers has lined up at center, guard and tackle during practice. He’ll provide the Raiders with versatile depth up front this year.

“I want to be someone that they can lean on me no matter where they need me to be,” Rogers said earlier this month. “I really appreciate them continuing to use me in that aspect. It’s allowing me to grow.”

Looking to the future, Rogers’ best path to playing time will likely be on the interior of the offensive line. Dylan Parham, Jackson Powers-Johnson and Alex Cappa are ahead of him at guard, but Parham will be a free agent next season, and Cappa also isn’t a lock to be on the roster. And while Jordan Meredith has the center job on lock, he’ll be a restricted free agent next year. For 2025, though, Rogers will focus on developing.

OT Charles Grant

This will also be a developmental year for Grant as he’s the fourth tackle in the rotation. He has impressive athleticism and movement skills, but his play strength, footwork and hand placement need a lot of work. The Raiders have worked him at both left tackle and right tackle to help prepare him for a potential role as a swing tackle.

WR Dont’e Thornton Jr.

Thornton has had the most surprising success among the rookie class. He’s incredibly talented, but he had mediocre production in college and looked to be limited as a route runner. With the Raiders, however, he hit the ground running and became a mainstay in the starting rotation by the end of OTAs. In addition to being a deep threat, he’s improved his short-to-intermediate route running.

Consistency is the next step for Thornton. He’s had some issues with drops and shedding defenders at the line of scrimmage. Still, he’s already earned the trust of quarterback Geno Smith and should get plenty of opportunities to make plays this year.

”I got him right under my wing, man,” Smith said earlier this month. “He’s one of those players who’s only scratching the surface of who he’s going to be. He’s got all the physical talent in the world. He studies the game like he’s a true professional. He loves football. That’s something that I really like about him. And then he goes out there, he makes plays. I mean, not many guys are 6-5, running a 4.3, got the hands and the catch radius that he has. And so he’s got the ability to be really special, but we’ve got to work.”

DT Tonka Hemingway

Hemingway is a smaller, penetrating defensive lineman, and the Raiders have used him both inside and outside. He can get caught in the run game, but they like the athleticism, quickness and elusiveness he’s shown as a pass rusher. He should be used right away in the defensive-line rotation as both a three-technique defensive tackle and defensive end.

“He’s twitchy,” defensive end Maxx Crosby said earlier this month. “He’s strong. He’s got moves. … He just continues to get better. I think Tonka is going to be a guy that’s going to be in that rotation.”

DT JJ Pegues

Pegues has looked pretty good when working at nose tackle. He’s one of the bigger defensive tackles on the roster at 6-foot-2, 325 pounds, but he has movement skills that belie his size. While he’s still working to grasp the game mentally, he should be in the D-line rotation alongside Hemingway.

WR Tommy Mellott

Mellott played quarterback in college, but the Raiders are having him transition to receiver. Although he’s an elite athlete, he’s too early in the process of learning the position to be useful on offense at this juncture.

“It’s a daunting task,” Mellott said earlier this month. He’s leaned heavily on Meyers as a mentor; Meyers converted from quarterback to receiver at NC State and has been able to give Mellott advice about what helped him pull that off. As Mellott works to learn how to play receiver, his ability to thrive as a kick and punt returner could be the difference that helps him earn a roster spot.

QB Cam Miller

After a strong performance against the Seahawks, Miller came back down to Earth against the 49ers. On his final drive of the game, he took two bad sacks and then threw an interception that set San Francisco up for the game-winning field goal. He’s smart, has a good arm and is mobile, but that was an example of him still being a raw player. Aidan O’Connell has had a rough preseason, but he still holds the backup job over Miller. Ideally, Miller will spend this year sitting, taking mental reps and learning from the coaching staff and Smith.

“I’ve learned a lot from Geno,” Miller said earlier this month. “He’s taught me everything from footwork, speeding up my feet and being accurate with the football. … It really just pushes me to become better and put the ball where it needs to be.”

LB Cody Lindenberg

It’s going to be tough for Lindenberg to make the roster. Veterans Elandon Roberts, Devin White, Germaine Pratt, Jamal Adams and Tommy Eichenberg are firmly ahead of him. And if the Raiders keep a sixth linebacker, it would probably be Amari Gainer. Lindenberg is well-built and moves well, but he just hasn’t shown enough for a roster spot. He’ll likely stick on the practice squad.

(Photo of Jack Bech: Candice Ware / Getty Images)

This news was originally published on this post .

Share on

email

Previous

trending_flat

Could a healthy Uchenna Nwosu put the Seahawks’ defense over the top?

Sports

Next

Flávio Prado cita Palmeiras e Flamengo como exemplo ao projetar falência do São Paulo: “Cada vez mais quebrado”

Futebol, Mídia Esportiva