Oakland Raiders training camp: 5 pleasant surprises

Rookies on the defensive line

The Raiders made a concerted effort to get better up front on defense this offseason, drafting two defensive tackles, as well as a defensive end. Through the first few weeks of training camp, all three of those rookies have looked tremendous, and the defensive line may actually be a strength for the team this season.

Let us start in the second round, where the Raiders drafted PJ Hall. A bit of a shocking pick at the  time, based on the fact Hall was a bit of an unknown coming from Sam Houston State, Hall made his presence felt in his first preseason game.

In the next round, the Raiders used a third round pick on Arden Key, who may be the best true pass rusher of the entire draft class. He did not play against the Lions, but has shown enough in practice to warrant all of the hype that has recently been placed on him.

Finally, the fifth rounder, Maurice Hurst Jr., who had the talent to go in the first round, but a medical issue forced him to drop to the fifth. The Raiders took a chance on him, and based on the pressure he got up front on Friday night, he is going to be a special player in this league.