Oakland Raiders undrafted free agents make strong impressions vs. Packers

The Oakland Raiders fielded few players who will see action in the regular season, but three rookie undrafted free agents left a strong impression Thursday.

The Oakland Raiders played an unorthodox preseason game against the Green Bay Packers Thursday. Because of turf issues at Investors Group Field in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, the team played on a short field. Officials moved the goal line up 10 yards on each end, leaving 80 yards of play and took away kickoffs.

As we know, teams feel good about winning exhibition games, just remember head coach Jon Gruden’s reaction after linebacker Koa Farmer laid a big hit on Packers tight end Evan Baylis, jarring the ball loose with eight seconds left in the game. That play preceded an interception, which sealed a win for the Raiders.

But more importantly, teams want to go through the preseason without major injuries and develop young players.

Despite the field conditions, three rookie undrafted free agents put themselves in position to make the 53-man roster—two of them may have solidified their spots.

Typically, Week 3 of the preseason represents a “dress rehearsal” for the regular season with the starters logging more snaps than the previous two outings. The Raiders and Packers chose to play it safe because of the turf, so we didn’t see many starters in action.

However, looking back at the game tape, we can still evaluate talents that came through consistently with impact plays.

Which rookie undrafted free agents stood out most against Green Bay? What are their chances of playing snaps in the regular season? While two choices seem obvious, a third player, who deserves some recognition, emerged Thursday.