The Las Vegas Raiders are set to play their final preseason game, facing off against the San Francisco 49ers on Thursday night. Kickoff is at 5p.m. PT.
This will also mark the end of training camp, as the NFL’s cutdown day is right around the corner on Sunday, raising the stakes for every player on the bubble to make the 53-man roster. So, this week’s rookies to watch are heavily focused on the Raiders’ undrafted free agents, with one third-round pick thrown in the mix.
Keyron Crawford
As the 67th pick of the draft,
it’s highly unlikely that Crawford is in danger of getting cut. Also, the Auburn product was a project coming out of college and wasn’t expected to have a big role this year after Las Vegas signed Kwity Paye, re-signed Malcolm and had the Maxx Crosby trade fall through during free agency. However, Crawford has generated just one pressure in the first two preseason games, per Pro Football Focus, and hasn’t been a factor against the run, either.
Meanwhile, S&BP’s Bill Williamson listed three other edges—UDFA Cian Slone and veterans Patrick Johnson and Jahfari Harvey—as players to watch against San Francisco, and all three have outperformed Crawford this month. Again, the third-rounder’s roster spot should be safe, but he’s looking at getting buried on the depth chart if he doesn’t step up on Thursday night.
E.J. Williams
Klint Kubiak didn’t mince words when talking about the team’s wide receivers after last week’s game, saying “they gotta get a lot better and fast”. The coaching staff is clearly looking for someone to step up and provide some depth out wide, giving Williams an opportunity to earn a roster spot with a strong outing against the 49ers. He had a 41-yard catch a couple of weeks ago, but hauled in just one grab for six yards in Houston.
Granted, the Indiana product hasn’t had many opportunities with just 13 offensive snaps in both games combined, per PFF. But the final preseason game is typically where players on the bubble get the most action, meaning Williams should have plenty of chances to prove himself. He and fellow UDFA wide receiver Chase Roberts, who also could be listed here, did get a shoutout from Kubiak after the Cardinals matchup to seemingly increase their odds of making the team.
Roman Hemby
With uncertainty surrounding the extent of Ashton Jeanty’s injury and thus whether he’ll be ready to play at the beginning of the regular season, an extra roster spot for a running back could be open. Hemby has an uphill battle to beat out Dylan Laube and Dare Ogunbowale, since those two have outproduced him in the preseason so far. But the former Hoosier still has a fighter’s chance with a big performance on Thursday night. Even if he’s headed to the practice squad, Hemby could use a confidence booster to show he belongs in the NFL.
Gary Smith III
Smith’s chances of making the roster took a nose dive last week after the Raiders signed Folorunso Fatukasi and Fatukasi played well against the Houston Texans. But the defense could use more than just one quality run defender on the interior defensive line, and the unit should be looking for a young player at the position who can provide some future value. That gives the 24-year-old UCLA product a glimmer of hope.
Smith had a good outing last week, recording a pair of run stops on just eight snaps against the run, per PFF. He’s also second behind Fatukasi for the best PFF run defense grade among Vegas’ defensive tackles in the preseason with a 69.9 mark. Ultimately, the former Bruin will likely begin the regular season on the practice squad, but he does have one more opportunity to prove himself.
Xavian Sorey Jr.
Sorey is another guy who looks like a long shot to make the 53-man roster, partially because he only received 24 defensive snaps in the first two preseason games combined. So, this Thursday night is more about showing what he can do on a larger sample size. One way to do that is to make plays on special teams, and the Arkansas product hasn’t gotten many opportunities in that phase of the game either, with just five special teams snaps and one of those coming on a field goal block, according to PFF.
In other words, the 49ers matchup should be Sorey’s best chance to show the coaching staff what he can contribute in a game.
