On Tuesday, the Las Vegas Raiders started Day 1 of training camp as a mostly whole group. Defensive tackle Christian Wilkins is still recovering from a Jones fracture. On a positive note, he was seen moving around without a walking boot in a video shared by wide receiver Alex Bachman on Instagram.
As for healthy Raiders who will be on the practice field, several will battle for starting positions. Pete Carroll leads a new regime, so players with undefined roles have opportunities to impress new coaches who will make tough roster decisions late in August.
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In the spirit of what will be a competitive training camp in Henderson, Nevada, here’s an in-depth breakdown of the Raiders’ top position battles, with early projections for who wins them this summer.
Starting cornerbacks
Credit: Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images
Fifth-year veteran Eric Stokes and rookie third-rounder Darien Porter took most of the snaps with the first-team defense through the spring as Jakorian Bennett worked his way back into shape with the second unit.
Bennett has more than enough time to shine and reclaim a starting role. As a starter in seven out of 10 games last season, he recorded eight pass breakups while allowing a 67.7 passer rating in coverage. More importantly, Bennett didn’t surrender a touchdown on 44 targets.
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If healthy, Bennett is the Raiders’ best cornerback, which isn’t saying much given the inexperience at the position and Stokes’ spotty availability between 2022 and 2023 with the Green Bay Packers.
Nonetheless, Bennett should have a bounce-back stretch that gives him a good chance to start Week 1. Porter’s upside may be too intriguing for the Raiders to bring him along slowly as a backup. Bennett and Porter start on the boundary, while Stokes serves in a reserve role as veteran insurance.
Winners: Jakorian Bennett and Darien Porter
Starting guards
Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images
Like the boundary cornerback spots, both starting guard positions are open for competition. Yet Alex Cappa is the front-runner for the lead role on the right side, where he took most of the first-team reps in the spring.
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The Athletic’s Tashan Reed believes that Cappa is the only acquisition along the offensive line who will see “significant playing time” on the field in the upcoming term.
Cappa has taken all 6,690 career snaps at right guard. The eighth-year veteran’s experience will work in his favor unless rookie third-rounder Caleb Rogers has a standout showing through training camp and the preseason.
According to Pro Football Focus, Cappa allowed 51 pressures and eight sacks while on the field for 774 pass-blocking snaps in 2024. If that trend continues, the Raiders should make in-season adjustments at guard.
Dylan Parham enters a crucial fourth year on a rookie deal that expires in 2026. He may be in a tough spot if Cappa starts at right guard. In three seasons, Parham has played all three positions on the interior, though mostly at left guard. Last season, he took 882 snaps at right guard, per Pro Football Focus.
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As a college senior in 2021, Parham allowed only two quarterback hits and didn’t surrender a sack while on the field for 545 pass-blocking snaps as a starting right guard at Memphis. If he doesn’t beat out Cappa for the lead spot on the right side, the Raiders may want to see more of Meredith after his solid showing at left guard last season.
In 2024, Meredith didn’t allow a sack while on the field for 399 pass-blocking snaps, per Pro Football Focus. In Weeks 7 and 8, he started at right guard and switched to left guard between Weeks 9 and 15.
This offseason, Las Vegas retained Meredith as an exclusive rights free agent, and he could pull off an upset over Parham to win the left guard position with an impressive summer.
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Winners: Jordan Meredith (left guard) and Alex Cappa (right guard)
Wide receiver No. 2
Credit: Candice Ward-Imagn Images
Based on spring reports out of OTAs and mandatory minicamp, rookie fourth-rounder Dont’e Thornton made a stronger initial impression than second-rounder Jack Bech, who signed his rookie deal a day after the Raiders’ 2025 draft class reported to camp.
At 6’5″ with blazing speed, Thornton looks the part of a big playmaker, though he must carry his spring momentum through summer padded practices. Now signed and ready to focus on the field, Bech can show off his versatility as a slot and boundary receiver.
Bech lined up mainly in the slot for two collegiate terms at LSU and one year at TCU, but he broke out as an outside receiver, hauling in 62 passes for 1,034 yards and nine touchdowns last season.
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Bech and Jakobi Meyers have interchangeable skill sets in terms of where they can line up before the snap. Because of that, the TCU product could see more snaps than Thornton to open the season. Offensive coordinator Chip Kelly could feature Meyers, Bech, and Thornton in three-receiver sets, which would leave question marks about Tre Tucker’s role in the passing game.
Bech wins the No. 2 receiver spot as an inside-outside threat, and Thornton gets on the field for three-receiver sets (11 personnel). As a result, Tucker garners trade buzz.
Winner: Jack Bech
Maurice Moton covers the Raiders for Sportsnaut. You can follow him on Twitter at @MoeMoton.