As the Las Vegas Raiders begin their full squad training camp practices today, while there will be plenty of position battles that pit veterans against first-year pros, including some of the players listed below, there are also set to be a handful of head-to-head competitions that pit two rookies against each other. That could be for positioning on the depth chart or a spot on the 53-man roster at the end of camp.
Malik Benson vs. UDFA WRs
It’s no secret that the Raiders’ wide receiver room is wide open (no pun intended) heading
into training camp, especially since Benson was taken in the sixth round and is the only receiver John Spytek drafted this spring. That’s good news for undrafted rookies E.J. Williams, Chase Roberts and Jonathan Brady. Whether it’s for a role in the offense or a roster spot, those four will likely be tied at the hip and competing with each other throughout the summer.
Mike Washington Jr. vs. Roman Hemby
It feels like Washington is destined to become the No. 2 running back behind Ashton Jeanty in Las Vegas, but the door should at least be slightly open for someone to take the job from the fourth-round pick. That gives Hemby some hope, especially since he was a productive receiver out of the backfield in college with nearly 130 catches and over 1,000 receiving yards over the last four years. Granted, Washington can catch passes too, hauling in 73 grabs for 470 yards during the same timeframe. Also, veterans Dylan Laube and Chris Collier will be vying for the RB2 role, too.
Keyron Crawford vs. Cian Slone
There isn’t a world where Slone makes the team and Crawford doesn’t this year, since the latter was a Top 75 pick in April. However, it isn’t out of the question that both make it and Slone has a bigger role on the defense or is slightly higher on the depth chart. Both players are projects as edge rushers, so if the UDFA proves to be more ready for NFL action, then there’s a chance he ends up getting more playing time than the third-rounder.
Brandon Cleveland vs. Gary Smith III
Like receiver, defensive tackle is another position group on the Raiders’ roster where just about every spot on the depth chart is up for grabs. Nose tackle is one battle that a lot of people will have eyes on since Spytek didn’t address the position until the seventh round of the draft with Cleveland. Since then, the general manager has inked deals with Smith and Benito Jones to add more competition in addition to defensive linemen like JJ Pegues, who were already on the roster.
In other words, there are plenty of contenders to fill the void in the middle of Las Vegas’ defensive line, and these two rookies are among them. Also, with Cleveland’s alignment versatility, there is a chance that he and Smith have significant roles on the team in 2026. But of course, that’s highly unlikely.
Jermod McCoy vs. Hezekiah Masses
This matchup is saved for last because it’s the headliner on the rookie-versus-rookie training camp battles as the only competition that features two draft picks.
While McCoy will be competing with Darien Porter for the second starting cornerback role opposite Eric Stokes, don’t sleep on Masses dropping in from the rafters and factoring into the mix. The Cal product has already taken advantage of McCoy being on a pitch count during OTAs and minicamp, reportedly rotating into the first-team defense with Porter by the end of the spring.
The fifth-rounder might be a dark horse, but his excellent ball skills (five interceptions and 13 PDs in 2025) could be hard to ignore during training camp. With a strong summer, he could move ahead of the Tennessee product on the depth chart, especially if the latter’s surgically repaired knee limits his practice time even more.
