Oakland Raiders 53-man roster prediction after Preseason Week 3

Offense (24 players)

Quarterbacks (3): Derek Carr, Mike Glennon, Nathan Peterman

At one point, Gruden said Nathan Peterman was growing on him, and the two may stick together into the regular season.

Yes, it sounds laughable because of Peterman’s terrible two-year run with the Buffalo Bills, but he’s played well during the exhibition stretch, completing 70.2 percent of his passes and throwing for three touchdowns and zero interceptions. The 25-year-old led the offense into Green Bay Packers’ territory and set up kicker Daniel Carlson for a game-winning field goal.

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The score doesn’t matter in the grand scheme, but Gruden may have watched Peterman play his way on to the roster with that drive on less than ideal field conditions.

Running Backs (4): Josh Jacobs, Doug Martin, Jalen Richard, Keith Smith (fullback)

Out: Alec Ingold, James Butler, Mack Brown

Traded: DeAndre Washington

For now, we’ll go with three running backs and a fullback. The Raiders selected Josh Jacobs in the first round of the draft, so he should see a healthy number of touches right out of the gate.

Last year, when running back Marshawn Lynch went down with a groin injury, Doug Martin took over the lead position and showed he can carry a sizeable load. In December, he logged 16 or more rush attempts in four out of five games and ran for 100-plus yards in two of those outings.

Martin only registered two carries during the preseason, which is an indication he’s likely safe to make the roster. On the other hand, the team featured DeAndre Washington in the first two games and kept him off the field Thursday.

Oakland would probably like to swap Washington out for a draft pick and leave the rushing workload to Jacobs and Martin with a little bit of Richard. If the front office doesn’t come across a good offer, he could stay as the fourth running back.

Alec Ingold put pressure on Keith Smith, who suffered a knee injury in July, but the veteran had a strong performance against the Packers, which likely saved his job. He’s also a Rich Bisaccia guy; the two spent four seasons (2014-17) together with the Dallas Cowboys.

Wide Receivers (5): Antonio Brown, Tyrell Williams, Hunter Renfrow, J.J. Nelson, Keelan Doss (UDFA)
Out: Ryan Grant, Marcell Ateman, Keon Hatcher, Rico Gafford, De’Mornay Pierson-El

The first three names are roster locks, but several wideouts battled and may still compete for the fourth and fifth spots in the preseason finale. J.J. Nelson twisted his ankle in the second preseason game with the Arizona Cardinals, but he could’ve returned, per The Athletic’s Vic Tafur:

Nelson provides blazing speed to the wide receiver group. He logged a 44.8 percent catch rate in four seasons with the Cardinals, but the 27-year-old has flashed reliable hands throughout the summer.

Ryan Grant didn’t play in Winnipeg, and Keelan Doss suited up, so you’d think the veteran has the inside track to a roster spot. However, the undrafted rookie out of U.C. Davis made a strong impression in exhibition action, leading the team in receptions (11), which include seven first-down catches, and yards (99).

We’ve watched Grant play for five seasons, and he doesn’t bring anything unique to the wide receiver group. Doss has the upside, size, hand-eye coordination to track the football and showed off an impressive toe-tap that may have sealed his future with the team.

Tight Ends (3): Darren Waller, Foster Moreau, Derek Carrier
Out: Luke Willson, Paul Butler, Brandon Barnes

Gruden and the coaching staff won’t lose much sleep over the tight end position. Darren Waller and rookie fourth-rounder Foster Moreau will take the top slots on the depth chart. Derek Carrier flashed his hands in the first two preseason games, snagging four catches for 23 yards and touchdown.

Carrier won’t see many targets in the regular season, but he’ll continue to log heavy snaps with the special teams unit. The 29-year-old played 77.20 percent of kick coverage snaps in 2018.

Offensive Linemen (9): Kolton Miller, Jonathan Cooper, Rodney Hudson, Denzelle Good, Trent Brown, Denver Kirkland, Brandon Parker, Jordan Devey, David Sharpe
Out: Tyler Roemer, Cameron Hunt, Andre James, Lester Cotton, Justin Murray
Suspended: Richie Incognito
PUP/IR: Gabe Jackson

Initially, Incognito and Jackson won’t count against the 53-man roster, assuming the latter goes on injured reserve or PUP. Because of their absences, Denver Kirkland and David Sharpe make it through the final cuts.

In Thursday’s postgame press conference, Gruden mentioned his “UCLA center” Andre James, but he’ll likely land on the practice squad. Jordan Devey has experience playing guard and center in meaningful games.

Raiders fans don’t sound too patient with offensive tackle Brandon Parker, but the coaching staff isn’t likely to give up on him after one season. He was the No. 65 overall pick in the 2018 draft.