3 Raiders who could shockingly be left off the 53-man roster
By Brad Weiss
The Las Vegas Raiders have one more preseason game on the schedule this summer, and their matchup against the San Francisco 49ers could go a long way in figuring out who will make the team's final 53-man roster. We know the players who are definitely going to be there for the team's Week 1 matchup against division rival Los Angeles, but there are a lot of spots that are still up in the air.
With the quarterback battle out of the way, the focus now shifts to other position groups, and the Raiders have to figure out which 53 players can help them the best in 2024. Most positions have multiple spots up for grabs, so when all is said and done, there could be some shocking omissions heading into Week 1.
Here, we look at three possible ones.
3 Raiders who could shockingly be left off the 53-man roster
Luke Masterson
Raiders linebacker Luke Masterson has been a steady contributor to the team over the last two seasons, but his roster spot could be in jeopardy this summer. Las Vegas drafted Ohio State star Tommy Eichenberg during the 2024 NFL Draft, and he has as good a chance to make the roster as Masterson does at this point.
In addition, Amari Burney has looked much better this summer, and we have seen some strong play from Amari Gainer as well. Masterson has earned the right to be above those guys on the depth chart going into preseason game No. 3, but his spot on the roster is far from guaranteed at this point.
Andrus Peat
The Raiders got some great news on Tuesday, as star left tackle Kolton Miller passed his physical and will be coming off the PUP List. With Miller healthy, left tackle is locked up, so all eyes now shift to the right side of the line.
DJ Glaze and Thayer Munford Jr. have been battling it out on the right side, but Andrus Peat has benefited the most from Miller being out for all of the preseason. He has struggled at times, and despite him being a veteran who can help this team, the Raiders could decide to bolster a different position group and leave Peat off the initial 53-man roster.
Chris Smith II
We now shift our focus to the defensive backfield, and the Raiders may be better than anybody expected in that regard. The cornerback play has been solid, although they should bring in a veteran before the summer ends, but at safety, the Raiders could have one of the best duos in the game in 2024 in Marcus Epps and Trevon Moehrig.
Isaiah Pola-Mao has earned a roster spot this summer with his strong play, and you have to like the pick of Trey Taylor on Day 3 of the 2024 NFL Draft. That could leave Chris Smith II looking for work when all is said and done, as the Raiders may not want to go into the season with five safeties on the roster.