Las Vegas Raiders head coach Pete Carroll has preached the importance of competition ever since his arrival. The team also endured so much roster turnover this offseason, thanks to him and John Spytek, that training camp and the preseason were going to be pivotal battlegrounds.
The Raiders entered their slate of three preseason games with plenty to learn about themselves, as well as several positional competitions to settle. While not every question got a firm answer, Las Vegas is in a far better state than they were a few weeks ago.
Although a handful of players really boosted their stock this preseason and made cases for starting positions, key roles and roster spots, Jamal Adams was clearly the Raiders' biggest winner after putting together three strong performances.
Jamal Adams was Raiders' biggest winner from the 2025 preseason
Adams was added to the roster just before training camp began, and most people, including us, scratched their heads at the decision. While he was certainly one of the league's best players in his heyday, those years had seemingly long passed him by.
However, Carroll has a rapport with him from his days with the Seattle Seahawks, and he clearly saw a position change from safety to linebacker as a way for Adams to find new life in the NFL. And boy, was Carroll right.
In his three preseason games for the Silver and Black, Adams was easily the fastest player on the Raiders' defense. He flew around and ended up recording seven solo tackles, a pass defended and four run stops. He also wasn't even targeted in 10 pass coverage snaps.
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While most thought that he would be a camp body or the team was simply taking a flyer on him, there is now an argument that he should be the team's third starting linebacker alongside Elandon Roberts and Germaine Pratt.
The next big question will not be if Adams makes the 53-man roster, as it is safe to say that he'll be on the team and playing a significant role. However, it remains to be seen if he can play an entire healthy season, which he has not done since 2018.
Las Vegas' defense is in better shape than expected if Adams can be the same healthy and effective player that he was during his first few years in the league, or at least close to it. If the preseason was any indication, then Raider Nation is in for a treat.