It’s no secret that the Las Vegas Raiders have gotten minimal production from their 2025 NFL draft class, outside of first-round pick Ashton Jeanty. However, sitting at 2-5 after the bye week and heading into the second half of the season with slim playoff chances, many expect to see a youth movement in Las Vegas moving forward. Well, the Week 9 matchup with the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday will be the first test of that theory.
Earlier this week, ESPN’s Ryan McFadden posted the quote seen below from head coach Pete Carroll, where Carroll hinted that some changes to the team’s starting lineup and/or personnel rotations could be coming. So, we may see more of the Raiders’ rookies get into the game against the Jaguars, and a case could be made for each of the organization’s second- through seventh-round picks that are still on the roster.
While the front office added Tyler Lockett to the mix this week, trade rumors are running rampant with Jakobi Meyers. Seeing as both veterans are set to hit free agency in the offseason, rookie wide receivers Jack Bech and Dont’e Thornton Jr. are clearly the future of the Raiders’ passing attack, along with third-year pro Tre Tucker. So, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Bech and Thornton, especially Bech, get more reps moving forward.
At cornerback, Kyu Blu Kelly has notably struggled over the last month or so, and third-round pick Darien Porter has played well on his limited opportunities. That’s led many, myself included, to believe that Porter will get a chance to start in the second half of the season.
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Third-round offensive linemen Caleb Rogers and Charles Grant have one offensive snap between them so far this season, and Rogers has been a healthy scratch for nearly every game. But Kolton Miller is currently on injured reserve and Grant could easily take over for Stone Forsthye, who has started the last three games but been relatively ineffective.
Also, the coaching staff hasn’t been happy with the interior offensive line’s performance, benching Jackson Powers-Johnson against the Kansas City Chiefs two weeks ago, and Dyaln Parham and Jordan Meredith are impending free agents. In other words, there’s a path for Rogers to get some action soon and, potentially, this weekend.
On the other side of the trenches, it’s harder to see rookie defensive linemen Tonka Hemingway and JJ Pegues get more playing time since the Raiders’ have a young and promising player in Jonah Laulu and veteran Adam Butler at defensive tackle. However, Butler is battling an injury and hasn’t had irreplacable production with zero TFLs and sacks and just nine pressures (via Pro Football Focus) in six games.
Finally, linebackers Elandon Roberts and Devin White are on one-year contracts and neither are slam-dunks to get re-signed in the offseason, especially Roberts, who turns 32 years old in April. So, an arugment could be made that seventh-rounder Cody Lindenberg deserves some playing time moving forward.
Given all of this, we’ll be monitoring how the 2025 draft class (outside of Jeanty) is used and thier production for this week’s gameday topic on The FEED. The game kicks off at 1:05 p.m. PST and will air on FOX (check your local listings). I look forward to talkin’ some ball with y’all!
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