The Las Vegas Raiders made a multitude of changes this offseason once Pete Carroll and John Spytek took over. Their massive roster turnover was spearheaded by a franchise record 11 selections in the 2025 NFL Draft.
While running back Ashton Jeanty and wide receiver Dont'e Thornton Jr. have garnered the most attention, as well as the most snaps in the rookie class through two weeks, Las Vegas has a handful of other promising first-year players.
However, several of them have not gotten much of an opportunity thus far in the regular season, despite being praised in the offseason and faring just fine in the preseason. These three players, in particular, stand out as young Raiders who the team is taking too long to get involved.
Raiders need to get these rookies involved in Week 3
1. Darien Porter, CB
Porter was always going to be a project for Carroll and the Raiders, but he was considered the starter until about a week before the season began. His fall from grace has been unfortunate and a bit confusing, as he has yet to play even one defensive snap through two games.
While he has contributed a fair amount on special teams, Las Vegas should at least start getting his feet wet at the NFL level soon. If they ever want Porter to turn into the player that they think he can be, trial by fire may be necessary, even if Kyu Blu Kelly and Eric Stokes are holding up.
2. Tonka Hemingway, DL
Hemingway was always thought of as a tweener at the professional level, as he is not quite big enough to play defensive tackle, but he is not quick enough to play on the edge. He is a bit of a jack-of-all-trades, master-of-none kind of player.
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In Week 1, he did not stick out one way or another in 11 snaps, so he was a healthy scratch in Week 2. Hemingway did flash enough in the preseason to earn at least some rotational snaps in the defensive tackle room, but Leki Fotu has come along nicely. Still, Carroll said he loves playing rookies, so hopefully, Hemingway's role increases.
3. Jack Bech, WR
This one is a bit of a head-scratcher because the team used a second-round pick on Bech. Yet, he has played just nine total snaps in two weeks. He had a crucial 23-yard catch against the New England Patriots to convert on third-and-long on his only NFL target, but still, he remains out of the fold.
Bech's problem is that he lines up similarly to Jakobi Meyers and Brock Bowers, both of whom rarely come off the field. However, the Raiders need to figure out ways to spell their two stars and start developing Bech in live-action.