Projecting the Raiders 53-man roster after minicamp
By Brad Weiss
Linebacker
Tahir Whitehead, Derrick Johnson, Emmanuel Lamur, Nicholas Morrow, Kyle Wilber, Marquel Lee, Azeem Victor
Heading into the offseason, the linebacker position was a pretty big weakness on this Raiders roster, and the organization made sure they went out and got some talent. The Raiders brought in guys like Kyle Wilber, Tahir Whitehead, and Derrick Johnson, all of which should play a big role in the 4-3 defense this season.
Looking at the position group, the starting three should look like Whithead and Emmanuel Lamur on the outside, with Derrick Johnson in the middle. Sure, Johnson is up there in age, but he has looked very good so far in the Silver and Black, and his leadership should fill the void left by free agent NaVorro Bowman.
Bowman is still unsigned, and there is a chance he makes his way back to the Raiders before training camp. If he does not, there is enough talent in this position group to make this unit far less of a weakness as it was last season. Oakland also drafted a linebacker in the 2018 NFL Draft that should help out right away as a rookie.
Azeem Victor was one of the best middle linebackers in college football during his time at Washington, and seems to have his head on straight since coming to the Raiders. In total, look for seven players from this position group to make the Week 1 53-man roster, and be sure to keep an eye on Marquel Lee, who has gotten rave reviews from Gruden this offseason.