Raiders 53-man roster projection: Tom Brady gets an up-close look on Saturday

New York Times

a day ago

LAS VEGAS — Sporting a white jacket that looked like it was pulled out of the late Al Davis's closet, minority owner Tom Brady was in Las Vegas for the Raiders' preseason home opener on Saturday, a 22-19 loss to the San Fransisco 49ers. Brady has been around more often lately — he's been at a practice, a scrimmage and a game this month — ahead of the regular season, when his duties as a Fox broadcaster ramp up. He's been getting a first-hand look at the squad as the roster cutdown deadline looms 10 days away.
.@TomBrady in the house for 49ers-Raiders 🔥
4pm ET on @NFLNetworkStream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/bHzVkdaA17
— NFL (@NFL) August 16, 2025
It was another so-so showing for the Raiders. The starting offense looked much better, but the starting defense still gave some cause for concern despite several key 49ers contributors being sidelined. And on both sides of the ball, it's clear that the overall depth is lacking.
The Raiders close out the preseason on the road next Saturday against the Arizona Cardinals. It will be intriguing to see if they make any outside additions between now and then, or elect to roll with the group they have.
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Here's a look at the Raiders' 53-man roster projection as the roster stands now…
Starter: Geno Smith
Depth: Aidan O'Connell, Cam Miller
Cuts: none
After playing just one series against the Seahawks, Smith logged two possessions against the 49ers and played well. He completed 6-of-8 passes for 55 yards and led two scoring drives. He was accurate, displayed his ability to make throws into tight windows and showed he trusts his teammates to make contested grabs.
Brock Bowers is just too big and strong 😤
Watch on @NFLNetworkStream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/wfb9wUgQc9
— NFL (@NFL) August 16, 2025
Neither O'Connell nor Miller played well. Each player took two bad sacks and threw one terrible interception.
Starter: Ashton Jeanty
Depth: Raheem Mostert, Zamir White, Dylan Laube
Cuts: Sincere McCormick, Chris Collier
Jeanty secured his first NFL highlight with a nasty stiff arm on cornerback Deommodore Lenoir. He had a solid outing with seven carries for 33 yards and one touchdown across two drives of action.
Freight train comin' 🚂#SFvsLV | 📺FOX5 pic.twitter.com/7wRX7LNKcJ
— Las Vegas Raiders (@Raiders) August 16, 2025
White and Mostert are still competing for the No. 2 running back role behind Jeanty. Mostert is the more reliable receiver and blocker while White is a stronger runner. It could just end up being a rotation based on the situation — Mostert makes sense as the third-down back and White can be used on early downs when Jeanty needs a breather. I gave Laube the edge over McCormick for the fourth spot because he has greater special-teams value.
Starters: Dont'e Thorton, Tre Tucker, Jakobi Meyers
Depth: Jack Bech, Tommy Mellott
Cuts: Alex Bachman, Collin Johnson, Shedrick Jackson, Phillip Dorsett, Marquez Callaway, Ketron Jackson Jr.
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Mellott isn't ready to play on offense yet, but the Raiders knew he was going to be a project when they drafted him and tasked him with making the transition from quarterback to receiver. He could contribute as a returner as he continues to develop. While Bachman will be more useful this year as a backup slot receiver and special teamer, they likely don't have to worry about him getting poached by another team. They can sign him to the practice squad and call him up on game day.
Starter: Brock Bowers
Depth: Michael Mayer, Ian Thomas
Cuts: Carter Runyon, Albert Okwuegbunam, Justin Shorter, Qadir Ismail
This group is essentially set. Thomas has often worked with the first-team offense during camp. Don't be surprised to see the Raiders use 13 personnel (one running back, three tight ends, one receiver) sets frequently.
Starters: LT Kolton Miller, LG Dylan Parham, C Jordan Meredith, RG Jackson Powers-Johnson, RT DJ Glaze
Depth: G Alex Cappa, OL Thayer Munford, OT Charles Grant, OL Caleb Rogers, OL Laki Tasi
Cuts: G Antonio Mafi, C Jarrod Hufford, OT Dalton Wagner, C Will Putnam, OT Gottlieb Ayedze, OT Parker Clements
The Raiders would be allotted a 17th practice-squad spot through the International Pathway Program if they keep Tasi, but first they'd have to release him and subject him to waivers. That could be a risk the Raiders are willing to take, but I kept Tasi on the initial roster this time around even though this will almost surely be a redshirt year for him. This team's lack of depth would make that an easy pill to swallow.
Starters: DE Maxx Crosby, DT Adam Butler, DT Thomas Booker, DE Malcolm Koonce
Depth: DL Tyree Wilson, DT Jonah Laulu, DT JJ Pegues, DE Charles Snowden, DL Tonka Hemingway, DT Leki Fotu
Cuts: DT Zach Carter, DE Jah Joyner, DT Keondre Coburn, DT Tank Booker, DT Treven Ma'ae, DE Andre Carter II, DE Jahfari Harvey, DE Ovie Oghoufo
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The Raiders mostly leaned on a group of six defensive linemen when their starters were on the field: Crosby, Butler, Booker, Koonce, Wilson and Laulu. Both Butler and Wilson lined up inside and outside to place an emphasis on either stopping the run or getting after the passer, depending on the situation. The results were mixed. The Raiders did better against the run on Saturday — they allowed just 2.7 yards per carry when the starters were on the field — but the pass rush was still lacking. Expect defensive coordinator Patrick Graham to continue experimenting.
Starters: MLB Elandon Roberts, OLB Germaine Pratt, OLB Devin White
Depth: Jamal Adams, Tommy Eichenberg
Cuts: Amari Gainer, Cody Lindenberg, Jaylon Smith, Matt Jones, Michael Barrett
Outside linebacker looks like another group that will be fluid for the Raiders depending on the situation. Roberts is a mainstay at middle linebacker, but Pratt, White and Adams were substituting for one another constantly against the 49ers. All the movement in the front seven isn't inherently a bad thing, but it will test the Raiders' ability to communicate and get aligned in a timely manner.
Starters: Eric Stokes, Kyu Blu Kelly
Depth: Darien Porter, Decamerion Richardson, Darnay Holmes
Cuts: JT Woods, Greedy Vance, Sam Webb, John Humphrey
Although Stokes seems locked in as a starter, the Raiders are still searching for answers at the other cornerback spot. Porter had previously handled most of the snaps there, but Kelly has been ahead of him for the past week. He started the preseason game against the 49ers; Porter rotated in for the second series and then Kelly came in again for the third series. Kelly is smaller and slower than Porter, but he's more experienced and a better tackler.
Starters: Jeremy Chinn, Isaiah Pola-Mao
Depth: Chris Smith II, Terrell Edmunds, Lonnie Johnson Jr.
Cuts: Thomas Harper, Trey Taylor, Hudson Clark
The Raiders are asking a lot out of Chinn — he's their primary nickelback in addition to lining up as a traditional safety — but he's handling it well. He picked off a terrible throw by quarterback Mac Jones on Saturday.
Chinn up 😮‍💨#SFvsLV | 📺 FOX5 pic.twitter.com/wHbdiyXLGC
— Las Vegas Raiders (@Raiders) August 16, 2025
Smith and Edmunds are battling for the third safety spot, utilized when Chinn is aligned as the nickelback. For now, Smith has a leg up in the race. Johnson recently had surgery to repair a broken fibula and could return at some point this season.
K Daniel Carlson
P AJ Cole
LS Jacob Bobenmoyer
Something worth monitoring here: Whether the Raiders extend Carlson. The former All-Pro is in the final year of his contract and would become an unrestricted free agent next offseason if they don't.
(Photo of Tommy Mellott: Ian Maule / Getty Images)
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