The Las Vegas Raiders had an up-and-down showing in their first preseason game against the Seattle Seahawks. While this was merely an exhibition, it revealed a lot about the players that the Raiders currently have on the roster.
While countless transactions will surely be made in the weeks leading up to the final 53-man roster being released for the Silver and Black, we took another stab at predicting who would make the team with one preseason contest in the books.
Raiders' 53-man roster prediction after first preseason game
Offense
Quarterback (2): Geno Smith, Cam Miller
Miller showed enough in his debut to supplant Aidan O'Connell as the backup quarterback in Las Vegas. The Raiders cannot afford to stunt Miller's growth into a solid backup by keeping O'Connell around, so they should be seeking a trade partner for the three-year veteran.
Running back (4): Ashton Jeanty, Raheem Mostert, Sincere McCormick, Dylan Laube
Zamir White looked like the same player he was last season, despite the hype that he garnered throughout the preseason. By contrast, Laube has flown under the radar but was one of the stars of the game on Thursday.
Wide receiver (6): Jakobi Meyers, Tre Tucker, Dont'e Thornton Jr., Jack Bech, Alex Bachman, Shedrick Jackson
Notably, former first-round pick Phillip Dorsett and sixth-round wideout Tommy Mellott do not make the roster in this projection. Bachman shined against Seattle, as he has done all preseason, and Jackson had the biggest play of the game, so he could ride that momentum into a roster spot.
Tight end (3): Brock Bowers, Michael Mayer, Ian Thomas
These three are locked in. A late push from recently signed Albert Okwuegbunam could implore the team to keep a fourth tight end, but that would not be at the expense of Bowers, Mayer or Thomas.
Offensive line (9): Kolton Miller, Dylan Parham, Jordan Meredith, Jackson Powers-Johnson, DJ Glaze, Alex Cappa, Charles Grant, Caleb Rogers, Laki Tasi
The offensive line depth looked shaky against the Seahawks. Cappa was sidelined, but Grant, Rogers and Thayer Munford Jr. all played their part in the second unit failing. Tasi was the team's highest-graded player according to Pro Football Focus, so it is intriguing to keep him around and cut Munford to let the youngest players on the roster develop. This may leave the team thin at tackle, however.
RELATED: 5 winners and 5 losers from Raiders' first preseason game against Seahawks
Defense
Defensive end (4): Maxx Crosby, Malcolm Koonce, Tyree Wilson, Tonka Hemingway
Wilson looked good on Thursday, rotating between the edge and the interior, and Hemingway flashed playing defensive end. This leaves the team with just two true edge rushers, but Crosby is an every-down kind of player. Jah Joyner or Charles Snowden could challenge as well, but Snowden could have a suspension pending, which hurts his chances.
Defensive tackle (5): Adam Butler, Jonah Laulu, Zachary Carter, J.J. Pegues, Thomas Booker IV
Rolling with five at this position seems a little thin, but both Wilson and Hemingway can rotate inside if need be. Laulu underperformed against Seattle, but Carter, Pegues and Booker all looked solid in varying roles. Treven Ma'ae could sneak onto the roster after his prolific performance as well.
Linebacker (6): Elandon Roberts, Germaine Pratt, Jamal Adams, Tommy Eichenberg, Devin White, Amari Gainer
The linebacker group looked a bit disjointed last night outside of Adams and Eichenberg. Jaylon Smith and Matt Jones had rough outings, which should clear the way for Gainer, a high-upside prospect and a fan favorite, to climb back into the picture.
Cornerback (6): Eric Stokes, Darien Porter, Decamerion Richardson, Kyu Blu Kelly, Darnay Holmes, Greedy Vance Jr.
Stokes looked every bit like a starting outside cornerback against Seattle. Porter and Richardson were solid enough, but made a few mistakes typically made by young players. Kelly played his way back into the conversation on Thursday as well.
Safety (4): Jeremy Chinn, Isaiah Pola-Mao, Chris Smith II, Thomas Harper
Chinn looked a bit rough against the Seahawks, but Pola-Mao had the play of the night. Smith also made a few mistakes, but fortunately for him, Trey Taylor made more of them. Harper is an intriguing piece to keep around because of his youth and versatility.
Special teams (3): A.J. Cole, Daniel Carlson, Jacob Bobenmoyer
No surprises here.
IR (2): Leki Fotu, Lonnie Johnson Jr.