HENDERSON, Nev. -- The Las Vegas Raiders open the 2024 NFL regular season at the Los Angeles Chargers on Sept. 8 at SoFi Stadium.
With a new starting quarterback in veteran Gardner Minshew and a defense with designs on being a top-10 unit, thanks to the pass-rushing exploits of defensive end Maxx Crosby and defensive tackle Christian Wilkins, the Raiders hope to sneak up on teams. But if things go sideways early, second-year returner Aidan O'Connell could quickly supplant Minshew and three-time first-team All-Pro receiver Davante Adams will find his name bandied about in countless trade rumors.
The roster will be cut to 53 players by 4 p.m. ET Tuesday. Here is a projection for the Raiders:
QUARTERBACK (3): Gardner Minshew, Aidan O'Connell, Nathan Peterman.
With Minshew the starter and O'Connell the backup, the only drama left is who becomes the emergency third QB. Given his experience with five career starts in 15 games since 2017, give Peterman the edge over undrafted free agent Carter Bradley.
RUNNING BACK (4): Zamir White, Alexander Mattison, Ameer Abdullah, Dylan Laube.
White has mentally accepted the role of RB1 and Mattison flashed at times in camp while Abdullah looked reenergized. Laube started camp fast, but reps have become hard to come by of late for the rookie, who might find touches on special teams.
WIDE RECEIVER (5): Davante Adams, Jakobi Meyers, Tre Tucker, Jalen Guyton, DJ Turner.
If the Raiders go with six receivers, Kristian Wilkerson should find himself making the team. Otherwise, the roles in the WR room are clearly defined. Keep an eye on Adams, though, as he missed a chunk of camp late for the birth of his son and did not play in the exhibition season, stunting his chemistry with Minshew.
TIGHT END (3): Brock Bowers, Michael Mayer, Harrison Bryant.
Yes, the Raiders showed a lot of not just 12 personnel in camp, but also three tight end sets. And why not? Bryant has the best hands, Mayer has developed into a bruising blocker, of sorts, who is a red zone threat and Bowers, the No. 13 overall pick of the draft, has shown unicorn qualities at the position.
OFFENSIVE LINE (10): Kolton Miller, Cody Whitehair, Andre James, Dylan Parham, Thayer Munford Jr., Andrus Peat, Jackson Powers-Johnson, DJ Glaze, Jordan Meredith, Ben Brown.
This reimagined line -- Parham switched from left guard to right guard, Munford is the new starting right tackle and Whitehair is keeping LG warm for second-rounder Powers-Jackson -- will have to protect a more mobile QB1 in Minshew and open holes for a new RB1 in White.
DEFENSIVE LINE (9): Maxx Crosby, Christian Wilkins, John Jenkins, Malcolm Koonce, Tyree Wilson, Adam Butler, Janarius Robinson, Byron Young, Matthew Butler.
Crosby & Co. have big plans this season, especially with the addition of Wilkins as a pass-rushing interior tackle. Koonce, entering the final year of his rookie contract, could be in for a nice payday. But all eyes will be on Wilson, to see what kind of strides he can make in Year 2 after being a Top 7 draft pick.
LINEBACKER (5): Robert Spillane, Divine Deablo, Luke Masterson, Tommy Eichenberg, Amari Burney.
With the Raiders' nickel defense essentially their base alignment, Spillane is the thumper and Deablo the pass-coverage specialist working sideline to sideline. Eichenberg is a Spillane clone, but he missed a lot of time late in camp with an undisclosed injury, allowing UDFA Amari Gainer to gain valuable experience that might force the Raiders' hand at the expense of Masterson or Burney.
CORNERBACK (6): Jack Jones, Jakorian Bennett, Nate Hobbs, Brandon Facyson, Decamerion Richardson, M.J. Devonshire.
The Raiders are putting a lot of trust in Jones' newfound maturity and playmaking ability as CB1, and Bennett seemingly won the other starting gig with solid camp play and Facyson getting banged up and missing time. Hobbs remains one of the best slot corners in the league while rookie draft picks Richardson and Devonshire will need to be ready to play at a moment's notice. A fearsome pass rush up front will help the corners in the back.
SAFETY (5): Marcus Epps, Tre'von Moehrig, Isaiah Pola-Mao, Chris Smith II, Trey Taylor.
Do the Raiders only go with four safeties? And if so, who pays that price with Pola-Mao, Smith and Taylor vying for two spots? Let's project five safeties, then, even as rookie Taylor, the nation's top safety out of Air Force, missed time late in camp with an injury. Moehrig and Epps are uniquely interchangeable, and both flashed their ball-hawking skills with numerous INTs in camp.
SPECIALISTS (3): PK Daniel Carlson, P AJ Cole, LS Jacob Bobenmoyer.
Carlson, a second-team All-Pro in 2021 and first-team All-Pro in 2022, and Cole, a three-time Pro Bowler who was first-team All-Pro in 2021 and 2023, may be the best 1-2 kicking tandem in the NFL. And another season of familiarity with Bobenmoyer will only help.