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The Las Vegas Raiders roster is taking shape this NFL offseason, and we now have a pretty good idea of what it will look like come Week 1. Now, the next time we see the 2023 team will be at Raiders training camp when players start fighting for playing time and roster roles. After the Raiders 2023 NFL draft, several Raiders rookies will push veterans for playing time and starting spots. First-round pick, defensive end Tyree Wilson, is one of those players, but there are several more as well.
Tyree Wilson vs. Chandler Jones
The Raiders rookie with the most eyes on him will be first-round pick Tyree Wilson. The defensive end from Texas Tech is incredibly athletic but raw as a pass rusher. He’ll be no better than third on the depth chart heading into Raiders training camp behind veterans Maxx Crosby and Chandler Jones.
Crosby is the team’s defensive superstar, so his job is fine. However, when it comes to Jones, the future is a bit murkier.
Jones is a four-time Pro Bowler and two-time All-Pro. He has 112.0 career sacks with seven of his 11 NFL seasons including double-digit sack totals. That said, his first year in Las Vegas wasn’t great. He signed a big contract last offseason and notched just 4.5 sacks in 15 games.
If Tyree Wilson can improve and adapt to the pro game quickly, there is absolutely a chance he could usurp Jones’ starting spot with a great Raiders training camp and preseason.
Michael Mayer vs. Austin Hooper
The closest thing to a lock during Raiders training camp is that second-round pick, Notre Dame tight end Michael Mayer, will take the TE1 spot from Austin Hooper.
Hooper is a two-time Pro Bowl TE, but he hasn’t had more than 46 catches or 444 yards in a season since 2019. He is a solid player and an excellent TE2, but Mayer should be able to take his spot and be the guy to replace Darren Waller.
Mayer was a first-round pick in most mock drafts, and most scouts had him as the best all-around tight end available. He slipped to Round 2, though, and the Raiders got a steal at pick No. 35.
While Waller is one of the best TE pass-catchers in the league, he doesn’t have the well-rounded skillset that Mayer does, and neither does Hooper. That’s why the former Notre Dame star will be on the end of the line in Week 1 over the free agent.
Byron Young vs. Jerry Tillary
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The Raiders needed to improve the interior defensive line in this year’s draft, and the way they went about that is by picking Alabama DT Byron Young in the third round. That pick was a bit of a reach, but Young could still become a solid player.
What Las Vegas liked about Young was not only his talent but his time in a winning program like Alabama. The front office sees him as a foundational piece of building a winning culture. Plus, he is a versatile D-lineman who can play in odd or even fronts, which could be big for the Raiders.
Head coach Josh McDaniels comes from the New England Patriots, a team that loves using the same personnel to lineup different ways on offense and defense. The versatility that Young offers the defense is the main thing that could push the Raiders rookie ahead of veteran Jerry Tillary on the team’s depth chart.
Tre Tucker vs. Keelan Cole
The final Raiders rookie who could bump a veteran out of a spot is wide receiver Tre Tucker. The former Cincinnati Bearcat is just 5-foot-9, 182 pounds, but he can fly. And we all know how the Raiders love speed.
Tucker is likely a slot specialist in the NFL. That means he won’t take free-agent signing Jakobi Meyers' spot, and if everyone is healthy, there is no way Davante Adams or Hunter Renfrow are taking a seat on the bench in favor of the diminutive rookie.
That said, there will be a fierce competition for the WR4 spot on the Raiders roster, and Tucker’s speed could give him the edge in that race.
Heading into Raiders training camp, DeAndre Carter, Phillip Dorsett, and last year’s WR4, Keelan Cole, will compete for that job. Cole was behind Adams, Renfrow, and Mack Hollins last season and put up 10 catches for 141 yards and a touchdown on 21 targets in 14 games.
Tre Tucker will bring a different dynamic to that spot and will likely get more targets and do more with them than Cole. At worst, Tucker should supplant Cole and running back Ameer Abdullah as the team’s primary punt and kick returner.
