Oakland Raiders: UDFA rookie making their push for a roster spot

It is very early in the preseason, but the Oakland Raiders are going to have some tough cuts ahead of them, as some undrafted rookies shined on Saturday night.

During the 2018 NFL season, rookie punter Johnny Townsend struggled mightily, leading the Oakland Raiders to some very unfavorable field position on numerous occasions. This offseason, the team brought in undrafted rookie punter A.J. Cole from NC State to battle him for the starting job, and it appears Townsend is going to have his hands full this summer.

With both punters on display on Saturday night, it was Cole who stole the show, showing versatility in both the punting, and kicking game. In fact, Cole got the game started, kicking off to the Los Angeles Rams, while also showing beautiful touch on his punts throughout the contest.

On the offensive side of the ball, it was two more undrafted rookie free agents that stole the show, as they inch ever so close to earning a spot on the Raiders 53-man roster. Fullback Alec Ingold is playing in place of the injured Keith Smith, who appeared in all 16 games for the Raiders during the 2018 NFL season.

However, it could be Ingold who gets the nod over Smith in 2019, as he showed on Saturday that he can make plays in both the run, and passing game. Ingold caught all four of his targets against the Rams, while proving to be a punishing lead blocker for DeAndre Washington and company on run plays.

At wide receiver, the Raiders have a logjam of a talent, and guys like J.J. Nelson and Ryan Grant were certainly top performers in the Raiders 14-3 win against the Rams. Another undrafted rookie free agent, Keelan Doss, also made his presence felt, hauling in a touchdown that would prove to be the final points scored by the Silver and Black on this night.

Doss, an Alameda native, got to score the biggest touchdown of his life in front of his home fans, a moment that was not lost on head coach Jon Gruden. Speaking at his press conference after the game, Gruden made it known that Doss is an incredibly versatile wide receiver, and has put himself in position to make this team out of camp.

We also got to see former Notre Dame linebacker Te’von Coney during the Raiders first preseason game, and he is another undrafted rookie that the team is excited about. This undrafted rookie class was rated No. 1 after all the players were signed, and we are beginning to see why.