Based on their last preseason game the Las Vegas Raiders have their work cut out for them on their 53-man roster deadline this Tuesday. Some groups had multiple standouts and others had head coach Antonio Pierce calling them “A work in progress.” at the Media Recap video conference following their last preseason game. Here are five standout performers from the Raiders in their final preseason game against the San Francisco 49ers.
6 Standout Raiders Performances Preseason Week 3 (In No Particular Order)
Amari Gainer
Undrafted Free Agent Amari Gainer may have played himself into a roster spot based on how he played in the Raiders’ final preseason game. Gainer started against the 49ers’ first team and finished with 10 tackles including two assists to lead the team. He was disruptive when blitzing and was flying around the field. His inexperience showed a bit against the 49ers starters getting swallowed up or overcommitting on some run plays. However, he settled in throughout the game and did what he was supposed to with his last chance to state his case. Gainer wasn’t perfect, but he stood out to head coach Antonio Pierce who values the grit and effort to accompany Gainer’s solid last game. Only time will tell if he did enough when the big cut is made.
Tyreik McAllister
Whether it was a 49er or a Raider, Tyreik McAllister may have had the best night of any player on the fringe of making their team’s final roster. McAllister spent the last year in the Canadian Football League and made his way into the Raiders camp this summer. He ended the game with a punt return for an 81-yard punt return touchdown and 2 catches for 56 yards including a 35-yard highlight catch for another touchdown. Another player that stood out to head coach Pierce, McAllister is hoping that the playmaking capability shows that he can contribute at least on special teams come the regular season. Pierce seems to think so mentioning him alongside Tre Tucker as their playmakers on special teams. His speed may be worth keeping him on the roster as a Devin Hester or Jacoby Jones throwback-style player who can make plays when you least expect them.
Ramel Keyton
You can’t mention standout performances from the Raiders’ last preseason game without mentioning Ramel Keyton. His series of spectacular catches to close out the end of the game were all anyone could talk about. Keyton has slightly less to offer than Tyreik McAllister in terms of special teams playmaking, but 8 targets and leading the team in reception yards won’t go unnoticed. His last-minute case to make the team filled with spectacular last-minute catches gave the coaches something to think about come cut day. Keyton will likely be battling it out with Christian Wilkerson, who has also been playing well, and Tyreik McAllister for the last Wide Receiver spots on the roster. The Wide Receiver room for the Raiders wasn’t known for its depth before the season, but Keyton, McAllister, and Wilkerson are making it seem otherwise for now.
Janarius Robinson
Speaking of depth, the Raiders backup defensive line made a strong leap in the right direction, especially Janarius Robinson. Robinson had a great tackle for loss against the starting 49er offense line without star left tackle Trent Williams. Great games by defensive linemen don’t always show up on the stat sheet and Robinson’s game falls into that category. His disruptive playmaking contributed to multiple big plays including a forced throw from Brock Purdy that led to an interception and a pass rush that helped Matthew Butler to a sack. Robinson cemented his spot on the roster most likely as a depth player with potential for disrupting the pass game and attacking run lanes.
Charles Snowden
Charles Snowden is another defensive lineman who may have thrust themselves into the 53-man roster conversation with their performance against the 49ers. The Raiders finished with three sacks, one of which came from Charles Snowden. He was making his presence known on run plays eating up blocks and letting linebackers like Amari Gainer feast on the running back. Like Robinson, a lot of Snowden’s work didn’t show up on the stat sheet. He put pressure on Brock Purdy to force movement or incompletions and made plays on third down when it counted the most. He’s been a bit inconsistent this offseason, but you have to make a statement with your last chance to do so and he did.
Matthew Butler
Matthew Butler got a sack on 49ers starter Brock Purdy from pure effort and teamwork with the aforementioned Janarius Robinson. During his game against the 49ers, Butler showed what coaches had talked about during camp concerning his play. He pushed the pace in the trenches disrupting pass plays and filling run lanes. Butler was drafted by the Raiders in hopes of developing into a valuable contributor or even a starter. The emergence of players like Butler, Snowden, and Robinson gives the Raiders’ defense extra hope going into the season. If these three depth players bring it into the regular season it will make the Raiders defensive line one of the best in the league.
Overall the Wide Reciever and Defensive line rooms had the best nights of all the Raiders positions groups. It’s exciting to see playmaking from backups on the Raiders’ defensive front although they gave up some big run plays. Wide Receiver Tyreik McAllister is more valuable as a return specialist even though he made a great touchdown catch against the 49ers. Along with the new kickoff rules, this may be what puts him over other options like Ramel Keyton. The big roster cut deadline is Tuesday, August 27, 2024, and most of the guys on this list have a high chance of making the roster after week three’s preseason game. However, the defensive backfield is a work in progress and might look for some help with cornerback depth concerns looming.
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