Raiders Preseason Game Takeaways: Jamal Adams Thrives at New Position as Defense Needs Work

Yahoo

8 hours ago

The Las Vegas Raiders opened their 2025 preseason on the road in a matchup with the Seattle Seahawks. After a slow start, the Raiders battled back to finish in a 23-23 tie and provided plenty to discuss in the aftermath.
The Raiders revealed their potential starting offensive line, which may feature a key difference on the interior from last season. In the bigger picture, the unit needs to build more chemistry. Rookie running back Ashton Jeanty didn't have much room to run behind a line that's still developing as a cohesive group.
Head coach Pete Carroll's second- and third-string defenders must sharpen up on the basics for a better showing on early downs, but the secondary held its own against Seattle's passing attack for most of the game.
Here's a deep dive on three of the biggest takeaways from the Raiders' Week 1 preseason outing.
Jordan Meredith in line to start at center over Jackson Powers-Johnson
Based on the snap counts from Thursday's game, Jordan Meredith looks like the front-runner to start at center, while Jackson Powers-Johnson is the lead candidate at right guard.
Against the Seahawks, Meredith took all 40 of his snaps at center, and Powers-Johnson logged all 40 of his snaps at right guard. Unlike training camp practices, the two didn't swap positions. The Raiders' plans for both players seem clear following their first exhibition contest.
While that's not necessarily negative, many expected Powers-Johnson to claim the pivot position. He won the 2023 Rimington Award as college football's best center and lined up at both guard spots and center with Las Vegas last season. Meredith, now in his third year with the Raiders, has logged 707 snaps at guard, per Pro Football Focus.
With this combination, Alex Cappa — who's taken some first-team reps at right guard — will likely serve as a backup for the regular season.
Jamal Adams will have big role at linebacker
Jamal Adams brought All-Pro energy in his Raiders debut. He made multiple tackles early in the game and performed like the pre-injury player who was once a Pro Bowler with the New York Jets and Seahawks.
Whether it was the adrenaline of returning from injuries or facing his former team, Adams looked rejuvenated last Thursday.
At the beginning of training camp, Carroll told reporters that Adams would transition from safety to linebacker.
If Adams can stay healthy and excel at his new position, the Raiders may have their strongest linebacker unit in several years with Germaine Pratt, Elandon Roberts and Devin White also in the rotation.
Raiders defense needs to get more physical at practices
The Raiders' run defense struggled with poor tackling angles and missed tackles throughout the contest. Seattle racked up 170 yards and scored twice on the ground.
Maxx Crosby, Malcolm Koonce and Adam Butler saw minimal snaps. With those key players on the field for a full workload, the run defense should perform better than what it displayed against the Seahawks.
However, Carroll acknowledged that his team's tackling 'stunk' in part because that's the first time they've tackled anybody.
Carroll should implement a more physical approach in practices with the San Francisco 49ers ahead of Week 2 of the preseason. Regardless of which players take the field, the fundamentals must be sound.
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