Las Vegas Raiders 53-man roster projection after Week 2 of the 2023 preseason
By Brad Weiss
For the second preseason game in a row, the Las Vegas Raiders put up 34 points, cruising to a 34-17 victory over the Los Angeles Rams. The Raiders have been shockingly good this summer, showing depth on both sides of the ball, which should make getting the roster to 53 men ahead of the Week 1 matchup in Denver very tough.
Here, we dive into what the 53-man roster could look like after the win against the Rams.
Raiders 53-man roster projection after Week 2 of the 2023 preseason
Quarterbacks (3): Jimmy Garoppolo, Aidan O'Connell, Brian Hoyer
The Raiders are getting great play from rookie quarterback Aidan O'Connell this preseason, and he may eventually pass Brian Hoyer as the team's QB2. O'Connell looks poised and confident under center, and at this point, it makes no sense for Hoyer to get any reps during the preseason.
Jimmy Garoppolo made his preseason debut on Saturday against the Rams, and that could be the last time we see him until the regular season opener. He showed great command of the offense against Los Angeles, and it will be interesting to see him play a full game next month.
Running Backs (5): Zamir White, Ameer Abdullah, Brandon Bolden, Damien Williams, Jakob Johnson
The Raiders not having Josh Jacobs this season looks like more and more of a likelihood, so it should be Zamir White who gets the ball in Week 1. Behind him should be a bunch of veterans in Ameer Abdullah, Brandon Bolden, and Damien Williams, who is fresh off winning a Super Bowl with the Kansas City Chiefs last season.
Jakob Johnson returns as the team's starting fullback in 2023.