Training Camp Notebook 7/29: Battles arising at multiple positions across the field

Jul 29, 2025 at 02:39 PM

Levi Edwards

Digital Team Reporter

The Las Vegas Raiders stepped onto the indoor field for Tuesday's practice. While the A/C was cranked up in the practice facility, the intensity didn't cool off.

Here are the notes, quotes and observations from the sixth training camp practice.

Notes and Observations from Day 6 of practice

Offense

An active battle that continues to take shape is at center. During the first two days in pads, Jackson Powers-Johnson and Jordan Meredith have split first-team reps. Both primarily played guard in 2024 but Pete Carroll is trying to get an extensive look at his available options.
"It's a good battle," Carroll said. "Jordan specifically, he's done well. He played really efficiently last year. His numbers and his consistency really showed up even though you didn't see him as a regular all the time. ... JPJ is working his tail off and both those guys are battling. It just makes us better."
Along with center, the running back competition is wide open behind Ashton Jeanty. While Raheem Mostert was absent from Tuesday's practice due to the birth of his daughter, Sincere McCormick, Zamir White and Dylan Laube shared carries. While McCormick spent a large portion of the day with the second-team, there's no real indicator as to what the depth chart will look like quite yet.
"I'm really happy with the running back group," Carroll said. "The variety of the styles that the guys have, I love. We have different kinds of makeups of guys. Zamir kind of stands alone. He's the biggest and strongest of the group and he really runs tough. ... Sincere, who didn't get a lot of play time last year, did really well when he did. And he's shown he's got a real knack, got really, really, good quick feet that are real natural to the position."
Ian Thomas saw a high volume of reps in team period and 7-on-7 drills, reeling in a few catches from all the quarterbacks.
"He's been a starter in a lot of places and he's played really good ball," Carroll said. "And he's in great shape, he's fast, he's tough. He's got the experience that shows up. He makes good decisions at the right time."

Defense

Devin White enjoyed a second straight great practice, seemingly turning up the volume once pads came on. He did a little bit of everything Tuesday morning from playing stout run defense to catching an interception in red zone drills and getting a would've been sack on Smith.
"[I'm] back, still got to prove it to the world on each and every Sunday, Monday [and] Thursday night," White said after practice. "And I've got to prove it to my team every day I step into the building. It's just the mindset."
Safety Lonnie Johnson Jr. secured another interception, making it his second INT of camp. Patrick Graham has mixed things up with his defenses each practice, exploring the possibility of three safeties on the field with Johnson, Jeremy Chinn and Isaiah Pola-Mao.
The defensive rotation was as fluid as it's been to this point, with a lot of new faces continuing to make an impression. New signee JT Woods continued to build upon his impressive training camp, along with UDFAs Matt Jones and Greedy Vance.
"I've got high hopes for JT. He looks just right," Carroll said. "He's really fast. He's really coordinated, can catch the ball well and all of that. He listens and he's comfortable with what we're asking in our style of play."

Special Teams

Daniel Carlson continues to find his footing (pun intended) on kickoffs with the new rule change. With the "Dynamic Kickoff," the touchback spot has moved to the 35-yard line and no one on the field can move until the ball hits the ground.
"[J]ust making sure you're not giving them free yards where if you pop it to them on the 10-yard line, we're starting when they catch the ball," Carlson explained on Monday. "And so, if you give them 10 extra yards where they're just starting at the 10-yard line instead of the goal line, that's kind of the hang time equation nowadays. At a certain point, it's location on where the ball is placed whether it's the corners, the middle, deep, short, whatever it is, you got to kind of be more precise nowadays."
The best kick return of the day came from running back Chris Collier, zipping up the field untouched for what would've been a touchdown. He also saw the bulk of returns during special teams period, along with Tommy Mellott and McCormick.

Quote of the day

I feel comfortable, I feel healthy, I feel thankful and I feel hungry. Devin White

1 / 100

Las Vegas Raiders cornerback Sam Webb (27) walks on to the field for practice at 2025 Training Camp at Intermountain Health Performance Center.