Oakland Raiders: 53-Man roster projections after minicamp

Linebackers: Tahir Whitehead, Derrick Johnson, Emmanuel Lamur, Nicholas Morrow, Marquel Lee, Jason Cabinda (6)

Notable Omissions: Azeem Victor, James Cowser 

Write Tahir Whitehead’s name in pen for the 53-man roster projections. At 28 years old, he’s still in his prime with the ability to play all three linebacker positions.

Emmanuel Lamur seems like a safe bet because of his past experience with defensive coordinator Paul Guenther. The 29-year old went undrafted in 2012 and produced a solid 2014 campaign with two interceptions and seven pass breakups in 13 starts.

Based on his track record with the Kansas City Chiefs, Derrick Johnson should provide solid coverage on the second level. It’s a skill set the Raiders lacked over the past several seasons. He’s taken Nicholas Morrow under his wing, per Kyle Martin of the team’s official website:

Morrow could see expedited development behind the four-time Pro Bowler on the depth chart.

Guenther praised the Raiders 2017 fifth-round pick during OTAs, per Tafur. “Marquel Lee has had a great spring,” Guenther said. He’s an asset for early downs and special teams.

Sixth-rounder Azeem Victor and undrafted rookie Jason Cabinda will battle for a back-end spot at the position. The Penn State product comes into the league with leadership qualities, per NFL media analyst Lance Zierlein.

The intangibles give him the edge over the Washington product right now. Cabinda could become the latest undrafted talent turned starter on Guenther’s watch.

James Cowser misses the cut due to a slight position change. He’s lined up on the inside rather than the outside or as edge-rusher through camp, per ESPN.com’s Paul Gutierrez:

Cowser established his reputation as a pass-rusher at Southern Utah and should land somewhere he could utilize that skill.