The Las Vegas Raiders made no shortage of roster adjustments this offseason under Pete Carroll and John Spytek, and finally, the fan base has a chance to see them in action. On Thursday evening, they'll travel to take on the Seattle Seahawks in a preseason matchup.
This will be the first of three exhibition games for the Raiders, and there are plenty of position battles to sort out and rookies who need live action. Carroll provided a cryptic answer about whether or not the starters will play, but Seattle reportedly will not play their first-stringers.
Outside of a handful of elite players who are locks to make an impact, almost the entire roster is competing for something at this point in the preseason. However, these five stick out as players to watch because their success this season may end up dictating how the team performs.
Several Raiders need strong performances in preseason game vs. Seahawks
1. Darien Porter, CB
Porter has more promise than almost any other player on the roster, but he is still a bit rough around the edges. Even though he is slated to be a starter, how he performs against backups will be a good indication of where he's at. If he succeeds, he's meant to be a starter. If not, the team has work to do.
2. Dont'e Thornton Jr., WR
Thornton has been the talk of training camp. Although there is no pressure to immediately live up to the billing, a strong performance on Thursday would go a long way in easing Raider Nation's tensions about the wide receiver room outside of Jakobi Meyers. Jack Bech also needs to perform well.
3. Jonah Laulu, DT
With Christian Wilkins out of the picture, the team has needed a player to step up alongside Adam Butler. Laulu has been praised at length by his teammates and the coaching staff, but the fan base will have to see it against Seattle to quiet their concerns about the defensive tackle position.
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4. Jamal Adams, OLB
Adams was a late addition, so even given his veteran status, he is sure to see the field for a bit. He'll also be adjusting to life as an outside linebacker after playing safety throughout his career, and it will be interesting to see how the transition is going and how much he has left in the tank.
5. Jackson Powers-Johnson, RG
Somehow, Powers-Johnson has found himself in an unexpectedly heated training camp battle. With him competing against Alex Cappa for the starting right guard spot, it will take a strong outing on Thursday to prove to the new coaching staff that he is one of the best five players on the offensive line.