The Las Vegas Raiders were unable to win a single game in the preseason as they finished 0-2-1. As fans know, however, the preseason is more about evaluating players than it is about the results of the game, as every team will begin the year with a fresh slate.
The first-team offense and defense were both quite impressive in Saturday's preseason finale against the Arizona Cardinals, as the starting unit left the field with a 7-0 lead. Additionally, it appears that John Spytek may have nailed his first draft class as the Raiders' general manager.
While higher drafted players usually receive much of the attention, the Raiders appear to have found several gems in the later rounds and as undrafted free agents, particularly across the interior defensive line.
Raiders UDFA Treven Ma'ae deserves a 53-man roster spot
One example of that is Treven Ma'ae, an undrafted defensive tackle out of Baylor. He did not appear to have a path to the final 53-man roster, but now it looks like he must be added, as he will likely not clear waivers to be stashed on the practice squad.
Ma'ae has impressed during the preseason as the rookie trio of him, Tonka Hemingway and JJ Pegues have all made their case for a roster spot. He has recorded four total tackles, two solo tackles and 1.0 sacks in limited playing time.
Tristen Kuhn recently shared some numbers to show that his performance goes beyond the simple box score.
"Among rookie IDL with 30+ snaps in preseason, #Raiders: - Tonka Hemingway: 9 pressures (1st), 13.6% win rate (7th) - JJ Pegues: 4 pressures (T-7th), 13.5% win rate (8th) - Treven Ma'ae: 5 pressures (T-6th), 16.1% win rate (2nd)," Kuhn wrote.
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While Ma'ae is not even listed as a third-string player on the unofficial depth chart, his performance during the preseason has seemingly forced the Raiders' hand. Las Vegas will certainly have Adam Butler, Jonah Laulu, Thomas Booker IV, Hemingway and Pegues on the final 53-man roster.
The team likely would prefer not to have six interior defensive linemen on the team, particularly with Tyree Wilson expected to factor into the equation as well. Ma'ae's play, however, has been hard to ignore, and he will almost certainly be picked up elsewhere if Las Vegas cuts him.
Furthermore, the emergence of three rookies at the position has made free agent pickup Leki Fotu expendable. There will be a lot to watch for as the cutdown deadline approaches. However, Ma'ae's work during the preseason should be enough to earn him a roster spot.