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The Las Vegas Raiders are entering a new era under head coach Pete Carroll. Las Vegas made several exciting moves this offseason, rebuilding the offense around QB Geno Smith and rookie running back Ashton Jeanty. Raiders fans finally have some reasons for optimism heading into the 2025 season.
The Raiders laid a good foundation during the 2025 NFL Draft. Las Vegas added several talented rookies who could have bright futures with the organization. Some will even be leaned on right away in 2025.
Which Raiders rookies will have the biggest impact during the 2025 season? And which veterans could lose snaps as a result?
Below we will explore three Raiders veterans who could have their roles pushed by rookies during the 2025 NFL season.
Dont'e Thornton could eat into Jakobi Meyers' snaps in 2025
The Raiders have some excellent offensive weapons with Ashton Jeanty and Brock Bowers. But the wide receiver room could still use some work.
Las Vegas added multiple receivers in the 2025 NFL Draft, headlined by second-rounder Jack Bech. He will be a Week 1 starter next to Jakobi Meyers.
But it could be fourth-rounder Dont'e Thornton Jr. who will surprise Raiders fans.
Thornton is your prototypical deep threat who can take the top off defenses. He will bring some vertical juice that Las Vegas' offense sorely needs.
Thornton's blazing speed could make him essential to the Raiders' offense once he gets his bearings in the NFL.
The Raiders do not have any other dangerous deep threats on the team, which could thrust Thornton into action much earlier than expected.
Raiders fans should not be surprised if Bech, Tucker, and Thornton are the team's starting receivers by the end of the regular season.
As for Jakobi Meyers, I think he is still a talented receiver with a few good years left in him. He is more likely to be traded at the deadline than become washed.
Could Tonka Hemingway steal Adam Butler's starting job?
This may be the most optimistic projection for a rookie on this list.
The Raiders drafted Tonka Hemingway (hell of a name) in the fourth round of the 2025 NFL Draft.
Hemingway, and fellow rookie JJ Pegues, currently sit at the bottom of the depth chart. This should be no surprise for this part of the offseason, as training camp is still more than a month away.
That said, I believe that Hemingway could surge up the depth chart during the 2025 season.
Raiders veteran Adam Butler would be the player most likely to lose snaps in this scenario.
Butler has served a valuable function for the Raiders over the past few years. He came to Las Vegas from Miami after spending the first four years of his career in New England. Butler has been a productive player for the Raiders ever since, especially after Christian Wilkins' brutal injury from the 2024 season.
Butler's stats are nothing to sneeze at, as he's logged five sacks in each of the past two seasons. However, he is 31 years old and coming towards the end of his professional career.
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That is important to consider because the Raiders have all eyes on the future. I would not be surprised at all if the team reduced snaps for veteran players to prioritize getting rookies more reps this season. Especially late in the year.
To be clear, it would be a surprising development if Hemingway became a future starter in Las Vegas.
But he has good pass rush juice and could easily steal some snaps on third downs during his rookie season.
Darien Porter will challenge Eric Stokes for the title of CB1 in Las Vegas
The secondary is probably still the weakest part of the Raiders' roster heading into the 2025 season.
But give the team credit, they put a lot of work into this unit over the offseason.
Las Vegas added Eric Stokes, Jeremy Chinn, and rookie Darien Porter during NFL free agency and the 2025 NFL Draft.
Stokes is not much of a veteran to the organization, but he is certainly an established NFL player after his time spent in Green Bay.
Stokes will likely start Week 1 on the outside opposite of Jakorian Bennett. That may not be an inspiring starting lineup, but it is an improvement over what Las Vegas had to work with in the past.
As a result, Stokes seems destined to be a big part of Vegas' defense in 2025. But that does not mean he has a stranglehold on the CB1 title.
The Raiders have high hopes for Darien Porter after spending an early third-round pick on him. Most NFL scouts agree that Porter has the potential to develop into a starting cornerback.
The combination of Porter's upside and the Raiders' need for a cornerback of the future could thrust him into the starting lineup in a hurry.
Porter will have to prove it during training camp and practice, of course. But there should be a clear path to a starting role for Porter if he is capable of earning it.
If Porter hits on his upside during his rookie season, he could steal snaps from Stokes and potentially become the team's top cornerback.
