The Las Vegas Raiders will take on the San Francisco 49ers in the second week of the 2025 preseason. After a disappointing outing against the Seattle Seahawks last Thursday, there are several players who need to put together strong performances for the Silver and Black.
While the Raiders won’t provide an official depth chart until Week 1 of the regular season, it’s clear that a few players are losing ground in their respective positional battles. Here are three Raiders who are falling down the depth chart ahead of the team’s matchup against the 49ers:
These 3 Raiders are already tumbling down the depth chart
Aidan O’Connell
It’s unlikely that O’Connell will lose the backup quarterback job to Cam Miller, but the fact that it’s even a question shows how poorly he performed in Week 1 of the preseason. Miller looked dynamic in the fourth quarter, while O'Connell was anything but against the Seahawks.
The expectation is that O’Connell will still be the No. 2 quarterback behind Geno Smith, but with another bad outing this week, it wouldn’t be a shock to see the Raiders explore the backup quarterback market.
One potential option could be Drew Lock, who Pete Carroll coached in Seattle. With Jalen Milroe rising up the depth chart, Lock could be on his way out, and the Raiders seem like a logical landing spot. O’Connell needs to have a strong week so the Raiders don’t start looking elsewhere.
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Jack Bech
The Raiders are likely to lead the NFL in 12 personnel this season, which means one running back and two tight ends will be on the field. This will leave just two wide receivers on offense, and Jakobi Myers is the clear-cut No. 1 receiver, but things get a little hairy after that.
Dont’e Thornton has worked with the first team throughout training camp as the X-receiver, while Tre Tucker has rotated in at several spots. That leaves Jack Bech as the No. 4 receiver in an offense that won’t be in very many three-receiver sets.
While he is likely to work into the offense as the season goes on, the fact that another rookie receiver is playing ahead of him isn’t a great sign. Bech could use a strong preseason performance to reestablish his spot on the depth chart going into Week 1. Otherwise, he is destined to be the No. 4 wide receiver on a run-heavy offense as a rookie.
Zamir White
We know that Ashton Jeanty will be the starter for the Raiders, and the expectation is that Raheem Mostert will be the primary backup. But the battle for the No. 3 running back job remains wide open. White is one of the players competing for that job, but he didn’t do much to impress on Thursday.
Meanwhile, Dylan Laube rushed for 34 yards on five carries, and he is a much more talented pass catcher. While Jeanty and Mostert are both viable options in the passing game, Laube is a much more dynamic receiver and could carve out a role in the offense on third downs.
White was expected to be the starter during the 2024 season, but he finished the year with just 183 yards and one rushing touchdown. The former fourth-round pick from Georgia is playing for a job on the 53-man roster, and the fact that Laube is performing so well isn’t a great sign for him.