The Las Vegas Raiders have high expectations for the 2022 campaign. However, there were some surprising Raiders roster cuts made ahead of the season opener. The team certainly has talent on the roster. But it will be interesting to see how some of their roster cuts affect them moving forward.

Let's go ahead and take a look at the most surprising Raiders roster cuts ahead of the 2022 season.

3. Darius Phillips

The Raiders roster cuts included releasing Darius Phillips.

Phillips was expected to be a quality depth option at the cornerback position. He spent the first four seasons of his career in Cincinnati with the Bengals where he showed a decent amount of potential. However, Phillips was limited to only 12 games in each of the past two seasons. Nevertheless, many people around the Raiders organization felt he was going to play a role for the team in 2022.

Phillips will likely draw interest on the open market. The 27-year old is a stable depth option who teams would love to have on their roster.

2. Keelan Cole

The decision to add Keelan Cole to the Raiders roster cuts was very surprising.

The 29-year old wide receiver entered training camp with a chance to earn the third receiver spot on the roster. At the very least, Cole could have been a valuable bench piece. But his performance during the preseason must have left the Raiders wanting more as he was released.

Cole endured a down season last year in New York with the Jets. But in 2020, he reeled in 55 receptions with the Jacksonville Jaguars. He added over 640 yards with a career high 5 touchdowns as well.

Cole is a 5-year NFL veteran who will also draw interest from many teams. Even if he isn't signed right out of the gate, inevitable wide receiver injuries will open up a roster spot for Keelan Cole on a team at some point. He is too talented to remain available for long.

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1. Alex Leatherwood

Alex Leatherwood was amongst the Raiders roster cuts. But Leatherwood, a 2021 first-round draft pick, was more than just a shocking cut by the Raiders. He was one of the most surprising roster cuts in the entire NFL.

Granted, rumors began swirling earlier in training camp that the Raiders were looking to trade him. But nothing came to fruition. That ultimately led Las Vegas to cutting ties with the offensive lineman.

Leatherwood becomes another former first-round pick that did not pan out for the Raiders. They have had a number of first-round picks falter in previous seasons.

However, Alex Leatherwood seemed like a sure bet. The former Alabama star was a highly-touted prospect out of college. But he struggled throughout his rookie year in Las Vegas. And he did not show much improvement during training camp with the team.

As a result, he became another Raiders roster cut. Given Leatherwood's potential, he will likely sign with another team. He's only 23-years old so calling him an official bust is unjustified. A fresh start may be all he needs.

Final thoughts

The Raiders expect to contend this season. They made improvements on both offense and defense. But these 3 Raiders roster cuts are surprising. The offensive line, which still has question marks, will need to step up given the absence of Alex Leatherwood. Derek Carr and the offense need to be able to trust this offensive front.