Las Vegas Raiders: Predicting winners of top 6 training camp battles

The Las Vegas Raiders will hit the practice field this week. How will the biggest position battles pan out this summer? Who’s on the hot seat?

The NFL went through a virtual period in the spring. Although teams can’t conduct padded practices for another couple of weeks, coaches can begin the next phase of installing game plans. Las Vegas Raiders head coach Jon Gruden runs a competitive camp, and that’s not going to change regardless of the circumstances.

Fortunately for the Silver and Black, the coaching staff doesn’t have to sort out as many starting roles compared to the previous offseason. The Raiders saw widespread production from their 2019 class, many of whom are expected to take another step in 2020.

Nevertheless, team brass must address a few holes in key spots—one within the starting defense and a handful of others among the reserves. As we saw last season, a squad without depth can easily fall apart down the stretch.

With COVID-19 still a major issue across the country, the deeper clubs have a better chance of enduring and outlasting opponents, so Gruden and company must nail down the primary reserve and back-end positions.

We’ll break down the top position battles, starting with the most important contested spot. Who’s going to claim these roles? Are there any surprise cuts along the way?