Las Vegas Raiders 53-man roster projection after first 2023 preseason game
By Brad Weiss
Fresh off their 34-7 victory over the San Francisco 49ers, the Las Vegas Raiders will look to win their first preseason road game this weekend against the Los Angeles Rams. The Raiders dominated on both sides of the ball against the 49ers on Sunday and got great play from quarterback Aidan O'Connell, showing incredible depth behind the starters, who mostly did not play.
With preseason game No. 1 in the books, we take a look at a new projected 53-man roster for the Raiders.
Raiders 53-man roster projection after first 2023 preseason game
Quarterbacks (3): Jimmy Garoppolo, Brian Hoyer, Aidan O'Connell
It was a banner day for rookie quarterback Aidan O'Connell, who really shocked the NFL landscape with how well he played in his NFL debut. Sure, it was a preseason game, but the fact is, O'Connell was facing an NFL defense for the first time in his life, and was as cool as you could have hoped he would be.
Eventually, O'Connell may pass Brian Hoyer as the No. 2 for the Raiders this season, but right now, all three men should make the 53-man roster. Jimmy Garoppolo has a stranglehold on the starting job, and could be in for a big season with Las Vegas.
Running Backs (4): Zamir White, Ameer Abdullah, Brandon Bolden, Jakob Johnson
This is the most interesting position group to keep an eye on the rest of the summer. The Raiders have added a few free agent veteran running backs in recent weeks, and are still awaiting word on whether or not Josh Jacobs will return in 2023.
Right now, Zamir White is the starter, and any combination of Brandon Bolden, Ameer Abdullah, or Damien Williams could serve as the No. 2 Sincere McCormick had a monster return from his torn ACL Sunday, but will need a lot to crack the 53-man roster after the preseason.