The Las Vegas Raiders are one week away from taking the field for the first time, can you believe it?
This weekend, the Silver and Black finalized the 53-man roster, thus completing the dreadful roster-cut process. On paper, we now have a confirmed list of players General Manager Mike Mayock, Head Coach Jon Gruden and the rest of the coaching staff will be riding with for this season (of course, the roster is subject to change by the season's end).
The Raiders' roster is comprised of a handful of veterans, mixed with budding youth; let's take a look at how this team was assembled.
NFL Draft (20)
| Player | Position | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Johnathan Abram | S | 2019 |
| Damon Arnette | CB | 2020 |
| Derek Carr | QB | 2014 |
| Maxx Crosby | DE | 2019 |
| Bryan Edwards | WR | 2020 |
| Clelin Ferrell | DE | 2019 |
| Maurice Hurst | DT | 2018 |
| Gabe Jackson | G | 2014 |
| Josh Jacobs | RB | 2019 |
| Isaiah Johnson | CB | 2019 |
| Arden Key | DE | 2018 |
| Kolton Miller | T | 2018 |
| Foster Moreau | TE | 2019 |
| Trayvon Mullen | CB | 2019 |
| Tanner Muse | LB | 2020 |
| Brandon Parker | T | 2018 |
| Hunter Renfrow | WR | 2019 |
| Amik Robertson | CB | 2020 |
| Henry Ruggs III | WR | 2020 |
| John Simpson | G | 2020 |
Derek Carr and Gabe Jackson are the longest-tenured Raiders on the roster, serving as members of the Silver and Black since 2014. While the duo is an integral piece of the team, Mayock and Gruden have added more foundational pieces around them in the last two years, such as Josh Jacobs, Clelin Ferrell, Maxx Crosby, and more.
Free Agency (22)
| Player | Position | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Nelson Agholor | WR | 2020 |
| Devontae Booker | RB | 2020 |
| Trent Brown | T | 2019 |
| Daniel Carlson | K | 2018 |
| Derek Carrier | TE | 2018 |
| Maliek Collins | DT | 2020 |
| Rico Gafford | WR | 2018 |
| Johnathan Hankins | DT | 2018 |
| Erik Harris | S | 2017 |
| Jeff Heath | S | 2020 |
| Rodney Hudson | C | 2015 |
| Richie Incognito | G | 2019 |
| Lamarcus Joyner | S | 2019 |
| Nick Kwiatkoski | LB | 2020 |
| Cory Littleton | LB | 2020 |
| Marcus Mariota | QB | 2020 |
| Carl Nassib | DE | 2020 |
| Nathan Peterman | QB | 2018 |
| Daniel Ross | DT | 2020 |
| Kendal Vickers | DE | 2020 |
| Darren Waller | TE | 2018 |
| Jason Witten | TE | 2020 |
The big free agency signings this offseason was Nick Kwiatkoski and Cory Littleton, upgrading the Raiders linebacking corps, which needed a makeover. The duo is expected to become the identity of Paul Guenther's defense, but they aren't the only free agents who've established themselves as anchors of their unit, for example, Rodney Hudson. The Pro Bowl center joined the Raiders in 2015 and is the glue that holds the offense together. The Raiders have found ample talent in the draft, but they've been able to acquire premier free agents over the last few years.
Trade (3)
| Player | Position | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Denzelle Good | G | 2018 |
| Zay Jones | WR | 2019 |
| Raekwon McMillan | LB | 2020 |
Offensively, the Raiders needed help at wide receiver last year, which caused GM Mike Mayock to trade for Zay Jones, who Coach Gruden said was the most-improved offensive player in training camp. Jones looks to be a factor in Gruden's receiving corps and is still tapping into his potential at 25 years old.
Undrafted Free Agents (8)
| Player | Position | Year |
|---|---|---|
| AJ Cole | P | 2019 |
| Alec Ingold | FB | 2019 |
| Andre James | T | 2019 |
| Dallin Leavitt | S | 2018 |
| Nicholas Morrow | LB | 2017 |
| Keisean Nixon | CB | 2019 |
| Jalen Richard | RB | 2016 |
| Trent Sieg | LS | 2018 |
Alec Ingold, Jalen Richard, and AJ Cole are just a few of the handful of UDFAs who've carved out important roles on the Raiders. It's been difficult this offseason given the circumstances for UDFAs to make a strong impression, but the aforementioned players are an example of what can happen when given an opportunity.
View photos of the Las Vegas Raiders 53-man roster as it currently stands.
S Johnathan Abram
WR Nelson Agholor
CB Damon Arnette
T Trent Brown
RB Devontae Booker
K Daniel Carlson
QB Derek Carr
TE Derek Carrier
P AJ Cole
DE Maxx Crosby
WR Bryan Edwards
DE Clelin Ferrell
G/T Denzelle Good
DT Johnathan Hankins
S Erik Harris
C Rodney Hudson
DT Maurice Hurst
FB Alec Ingold
G Gabe Jackson
RB Josh Jacobs
OL Andre James
CB Isaiah Johnson
WR Zay Jones
S Lamarcus Joyner
DE Arden Key
LB Nick Kwiatkoski
CB Nevin Lawson
S Dallin Leavitt
LB Cory Littleton
QB Marcus Mariota
LB Raekwon McMillan
T Kolton Miller
TE Foster Moreau
LB Nicholas Morrow
CB Trayvon Mullen
DE Carl Nassib
CB Keisean Nixon
G Patrick Omameh
T Brandon Parker
QB Nathan Peterman
WR Hunter Renfrow
RB Jalen Richard
RB Theo Riddick
CB Amik Robertson
WR Henry Ruggs III
LS Trent Sieg
G John Simpson
DE Chris Smith
DE Kendal Vickers
TE Darren Waller
LB Kyle Wilber
TE Jason Witten
T Sam Young
