5 Raiders to watch on defense in tonight's preseason opener in Seattle
DL Tonka Hemingway
There is an open competition to fill the void left by the release of Christian Wilkins. Jonah Laulu is the leader in that competition, but defensive tackles work in rotation, so others will get significant playing time in situational football. Right away, there will be one thing to watch with Hemingway -- where he is lining up. Though he is a defensive tackle by trade, and that's where I saw him lining up in camp, the Raiders unofficial depth chart released this week had him at defensive end. So, it will be interesting to see if he moves around the defensive line in much the same way that Tyree Wilson does.
DE Jah Joyner
The most highly regarded undrafted free agent to sign with the Raiders this offseason. The Minnesota edge rusher is in the thick of the battle for reps on the edge. The starters are set with Maxx Crosby and Malcolm Koonce. But after that, it's a battle. Joyner gets his first shot to show up live tonight.
LB Jamal Adams
Along with Pete Carroll and Geno Smith, Adams will make his return to Seattle tonight. Adams spent four seasons with Seahawks making a Pro Bowl at safety. These days he's trying to salvage his career and making a position change to try and make it happen. Tonight we get to see how the transition to outside linebacker is going for the former three-time Pro Bowl safety. And being that he isn't a starter, we could see some good minutes from him too.
CB DeCamerion Richardson
The fourth rounder took his lumps as a rookie last season. But the new Raiders coaching staff loves him. They love his length (6-2) and see a big jump from him from his rookie season. They like him enough to occasionally give him reps with the first team and trade away former starter Jakorian Bennett. Tonight we should see quite a bit of time from him.
S Chris Smith II
A big time safety at Georgia, he was a fifth round pick by the Raiders in the 2023 NFL Draft. He has played mostly special teams over his first two seasons, but could get his shot this season with the injury to Lonnie Johnson Jr. He is certainly in the mix to be a starter. Others are also competing for that position. A solid performance tonight would go far to helping Smith get that job. If he falters, he opens the door to fall back down the depth chart.
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