Klint Kubiak and his coaching staff came away from the Las Vegas Raiders' preseason opener against the Arizona Cardinals with far more information than they had before, which is crucial at this stage. With nowhere to hide in a live setting, countless players stood out, both in good and bad ways.
And while players like Fernando Mendoza, running back Mike Washington Jr. and kicker Kansei Matsuzawa all got a lot of attention for their performances, the first two for their prowess and the latter for his miscues, plenty of members of the Silver and Black flew under the radar last Thursday.
So, in an attempt to shed some light on the players who didn't make headlines but still performed well in the first game of the exhibition slate, we've uncovered eight sneaky-good performances from the Cardinals game that deserve recognition.
8 unheralded strong performances from Raiders' preseason opener
Charles Grant, OT
Grant wasn't perfect, as he gave up two quarterback hits. But his run blocking was absolutely stellar, as he pancaked a defensive lineman to help Washington Jr. break his game-long 53-yard run. Grant played exclusively at left tackle, but if he continues to play well, he could challenge on the right side.
Atonio Mafi, G
Mafi was one of the other key catalysts on Washington Jr.'s big jaunt, and he had a strong showing overall with the backup groups. His 74.8 PFF grade was the sixth-best on the Raiders' offense, but like Grant, he struggled as a pass-blocker, giving up a quarterback hit. Overall, though, a strong showing.
Caleb Rogers, G
Rogers, for some reason, hasn't gotten much credit for a good outing, but it could matter, as his battle with Jackson Powers-Johnson is far from over. Although he was fairly average as a run-blocker, Rogers had the best pass-blocking grade among Las Vegas' offensive linemen last Thursday.
Treven Ma'ae, DT
Ma'ae shined last preseason as well, and he's off to a great start in 2026. He didn't show up much in the stat sheet, recording just one solo tackle, but Ma'ae made some solid plays against the run to boost the depth groups. If he can improve as a pass-rusher, he could be on the practice squad again.
Greedy Vance Jr., CB
Vance Jr.'s performance jumped off the screen, and yet, there has been little coverage of it. He tallied a game-high 10 tackles, including five run stops, and only whiffed on one attempt. He did give up five catches for 42 yards, but Vance Jr. was fairly sticky in coverage. He's making a strong case for the 53.
Cody Lindenberg, LB
Not only did Lindenberg make two great run stops during his 11 snaps against the run, but he wasn't targeted on any of the eight plays that he dropped back in coverage. Lindenberg was also featured on four different special teams units, which is typical for him but still good.
Dalton Johnson, SAF
Johnson first made his mark with a tackle on special teams, but he also contributed a lot on defense. While flashing his versatility, he made three nice run stops and forced an incompletion on the lone ball thrown his way. Johnson logged snaps at four different positions and on five special teams units.
Tyler Duzansky, LS
I am not going to pretend that I know the first thing about long snapping. And I'd venture to guess that most fans and readers don't know a whole lot either (if you do, contact me). But I noticed a bad snap during the broadcast, and it wasn't Duzansky. His PFF grade was also way higher than Alex Ward's, his competitor, was. 79.8 is a lot more than 62.0; I know that.
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