Three Raiders in danger of losing their roster spot after the draft

With the draft complete, most of the heavy lifting for the Las Vegas Raiders before the season is complete. Between free agency and the draft, head coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Spytek performed a sweeping overhaul of the roster. They were aggressive in attacking various needs, hoping to push the team towards being more competitive in 2025. Although they are coming off a strong first draft, the new regime might not be finished looking for ways to improve. The draft did dispel some rumors of trades, particularly around tight end Michael Mayer and quarterback Aidan O’Connell. Although the Raiders could revisit those conversations later on, the fact the team did not draft immediate replacements for either one suggest both are locked into their roles for 2025. However, the moves made throughout the offseason have left some Raiders in danger of being on the outside looking in when roster cuts come around. As the Raiders continue to make the necessary adjustments, here are three players that will be sweating it out for their roster spot. Thayer Munford Jr., OL No player on the Raiders roster saw their stock with the team plummet in the draft more than Munford. With two third-round rookies joining the offensive line in Caleb Rogers and Charles Grant, Munford has likely been relegated to the end of the bench. This is coming off the heels of Spytek’s announcement that competitions would be held for the starting interior offensive line spots, but Munford’s name was omitted from the list of candidates. He was already outperformed by his fellow offensive linemen last season as well, allowing five sacks on only 201 snaps, according to Pro Football Focus. The saving grace for Munford right now is that the room behind him is lacking, and teams tend to keep around nine offensive linemen on the initial 53-man roster. However, he already opened the door for players to take his spots in the lineup, and that door tends to be much more difficult to close. Zamir White, RB White’s presence on the roster and initial promise was a major reason why the Raiders let Josh Jacobs walk in 2024. That turned out to be a major miscalculation on the part of the team, as White struggled mightily last season. Averaging only 2.8 yards per carry, White lost snaps to Alexander Mattison and Sincere McCormick before a quadriceps injury mercifully ended the lost campaign. It prompted the Raiders to make massive changes to their running back room, signing Raheem Mostert in free agency and drafting Ashton Jeanty with the sixth overall pick. White now finds himself without a clear role on the Raiders, as he offers minimal value as a pass-catcher (21 catches in three seasons) and has not really been tested on special teams. Presuming McCormick returns from his ankle injury and slots in above White, he may have to compete for the final running back spot with 2024 sixth-round pick Dylan Laube. Laube does have ball security issues, but he also offers more value to the Raiders as a third-down back and special teams player. A strong training camp might be the only chance White gets to prove to a new regime that he still has potential to contribute to the Raiders. Tyree Wilson, DL With the regime that drafted him seventh overall in 2023 now all gone, Wilson is in much greater danger than anticipated. Adding depth on the defensive line with fourth-round pick Tonka Hemingway and sixth-round pick JJ Pegues, Wilson’s easy route to snaps is now littered with obstacles. Even more concerning, Hemingway is undersized for a full-time defensive tackle and could transition to the edge, creating direct competition with Wilson. Add undrafted edge rusher Jah Joyner to the mix, and there is the chance of a perfect storm that takes Wilson completely out of the equation. Wilson did show some improvement in 2024, notching four and a half sacks in a rotational role. However, he still has yet to showcase the potential that pushed him to such a high draft slot. With Maxx Crosby and Malcolm Koonce back and healthy, Wilson is going to be more hard-pressed to earn a role on the field. If things go awry, do not be surprised if the Raiders are on the phone to see what they can get for the third-year pass rusher.