Unlikely rookie turning heads at Raiders training camp

Early reviews from the Las Vegas Raiders' 2024 draft class are looking good. Everybody knows tight end Brock Bowers is going to be a stud and we haven't gotten a good look at Jackson Powers-Johnson quite yet but the team's third-round pick may end up being a steal.

There was some concern about the Raiders taking Maryland offensive tackle DJ Glaze in the third-round. The Athletic thought it was a reach and gave the team a "D" grade for the selection. However, Glaze is turning some heads at training camp.

He's gone toe-to-toe with defensive end Maxx Crosby and hasn't been embarrassed, which is impressive for a rookie.

“He showed up (Tuesday) in a big way,” Pierce said at a recent presser. “He didn’t blink, didn’t flinch. That first rep against Maxx is always going to be tough, but as the practice went on, you saw a guy growing. But forget Tuesday. Since he’s gotten here, he’s been steady Eddie. He’s been consistent in everything he’s done.

“He’s learning from the veterans and doesn’t say a lot, and he puts his best foot forward every day. You have to be excited about where he is going and his approach.”

According to Vic Tafur of The Athletic, news of Glaze's strong play got back to Crosby, which he took as a referendum on him. This led to him getting extra chirpy at a recent practice. If Glaze is getting Crosby that fired up, that's a great sign for the Raiders.

Though Crosby is being tough on Glaze, he's also been a good mentor.

“Sometimes after a rack of plays,” Glaze said, “Maxx will come find me and say, ‘This is what I saw … if you stayed square this much longer, I probably would have had nowhere to go.’ Reps are important, but having one of the greats tell you what you can do better is ultimately what’s going to help you improve your craft.”

Thayer Munford appeared to be a lock to be the starting right tackle but Glaze might make the Raiders think. If he develops into a dependable starting right tackle, Tom Telesco might already be the best general manager the team has had in years.