Oakland Raiders Preseason Week 1: Players to Watch

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Jul 30, 2016; Napa, CA, USA; Oakland Raiders quarterbacks coach Todd Downing (left) and assistant quarterbacks coach Jake Peetz at training camp at the Napa Valley Marriott. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports /

QUICK THOUGHTS

1) 3^rd round pick, pass-rusher Shilique Calhoun, has shown some burst and rush moves and is looking to add to the front seven depth. I would expect him to get a lot of time in the second quarter and maybe second half on Friday.

2) D.J. Hayden and T.J. Carrie are battling for the slot corner position, and it’ll be interesting to see who starts and how much each plays. Not much to read in to the first preseason game about entrenched players, but if Hayden continues to play well it can only help him.

3) The battle for fifth wideout should be one of the more intriguing battles as UDFA’s Jonny Holton and K.J. Brent have moved ahead of fellow UDFA’s Joe Hansley and Max McCaffrey. It’s a testament to the depth the team has built that there are four talented UDFA’s battling for the final receiver spot, with another, Jaydon Mickens, outside looking in.

4) The Mickey D boys, Dewey and Dexter, are impressing coach Del Rio and working their way into the conversation for playing time. Expect both to play quite a bit on Friday, Dewey at safety and Dexter at CB. The secondary seems to be turning from weakness to strength.

5) Carr, Crabtree, and Cooper have all shown that offseason work and chemistry building has paid off. For the brief time they’re in the game it’ll be a good early litmus test against one of the better secondaries in the NFL.

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