The Las Vegas Raiders finished their second practice of mandatory minicamp on Wednesday, which was open to the media. With the media in attendance, we got the opportunity to see the players in action and hear from some of them and the coaches.
Las Vegas will hold one more practice on Thursday to conclude minicamp before a lengthy summer break until training camp in late July.
In Wednesday’s practice, some rookies stood out amongst the crowd, and we got some updated information on the injury front. Additionally, a 2023 Day 3 draft pick stacked another impressive day.
We discuss that and much more in today’s takeaways from Day 2 of mandatory minicamp.
Raiders minicamp takeaways Day 2
Who didn’t practice?
The Raiders had 86 players who participated in practice today, with five absences. According to Tashan Reed of the Athletic, offensive tackle Kolton Miller, guard Jake Johanning, linebacker Darien Butler, defensive tackle Matthew Butler, and defensive end Elerson Smith didn’t practice today.
Miller has been rehabbing from offseason shoulder injury and has yet to participate in any offseason practice. Smith and Johanning were new additions to the list of non-participants, while both Butlers were absent on Tuesday, also.
Jakorian Bennett continues to impress
Bennett had a rough rookie season, as the 23-year-old scored a 41.1 coverage grade and allowed a 102.3 passer rating when targeted last season.
The former Maryland standout has taken strides this offseason and put together another impressive day. According to Levi Edwards of Raiders.com, Bennett snagged another interception at the end of practice, marking the second straight day the second-year cornerback has had an interception.
A breakout season from Bennett, who is the favorite to land the No. 2 cornerback job opposite Jack Jones, would only make the Raiders’ defense more formidable.
Good day for Anthony Brown
Anthony Brown will be fighting for the QB3 role or a practice squad spot in training camp against UDFA Carter Bradley. The former Oregon Duck signed a reserve/future contract with the Raiders in January after a stint with the Ravens.
On Day 2, Edwards noted Brown’s efficient day.
For a second straight day, quarterback Anthony Brown Jr. was finding his targets. He connected on a deep touchdown pass to Kristian Wilkerson in team period as well as some impressive throws to DJ Turner. Both Brown and Gardner Minshew II used their legs to rush for first-down gains on different occasions.
It remains to be seen if the Raiders will carry three quarterbacks or simply keep a third on the practice squad. Either way, Brown should be viewed as the favorite over Bradley.
Rookie standouts
Excellent performances from the rookies were the storyline of Raiders practice Wednesday. According to Edwards, Brock Bowers continues to showcase his crisp route-running and even received a nickname from wide receiver Davante Adams.
Brock Bowers has impressed since rookie minicamp and continued to use his route running abilities to get open throughout Wednesday’s practice. “That’s the business man,” Davante Adams said of the first-round pick. “He doesn’t care about anything else but locking in on football and I can see it in his eyes.”
Per Edwards, running back Dylan Laube had another strong day of practice and demonstrated his versatility once again. He also adds that Laube received a good number of reps as a kick returner.
Dylan Laube, a sixth-round pick from New Hampshire, is using his versatility to the fullest. Along with racking up yards after catch from the backfield, he’s received quite a few reps in kickoff return. “I think he has a bright future,” said Cadillac Williams, running backs coach. “He’s wise beyond his years. He shows up like a vet. … He can take what he learns from the classroom and apply it on the field. He’s always going to be in the right spots. Got really good hands, quick, explosive. Just a very cerebral player that can do a lot of things.”
To wrap up the impressive day for the 2024 draft class, Edwards highlighted offensive tackle DJ Glaze’s proficient pass protection and some plays from Day 3 picks, linebacker Tommy Eichenberg and cornerback M.J. Devonshire.
To round out the good showings from the rookies, DJ Glaze showcased his skills in pass protection against the likes of Maxx Crosby and Tyree Wilson and in the secondary, seventh-rounder M.J. Devonshire caught an interception. Linebacker Tommy Eichenberg also had a pass deflection during red zone drills.
We haven’t heard much from most of the 2024 draft class this offseason, so it’s especially encouraging to see multiple rookies make standout plays.
Aidan O’Connell gets more 1st-team reps
Gardner Minshew received most of the 1st-team reps at practice on Tuesday, but the roles were reversed today, as Aidan O’Connell seized most of the first-team reps on Wednesday, according to Tashan Reed of the Athletic.
After Gardner Minshew took most of the snaps with the starters during team drills Tuesday, it was Aidan O’Connell’s turn to take the majority of the first-team reps Wednesday.
Just when we thought we had a little inkling about which way this competition was going based on the number of first-team reps, the pendulum swings the other way. It’s truly impossible to gauge who is ahead as training camp approaches.
Both QBs continue to struggle
Despite Minshew and O’Connell getting close to equal opportunity through two days of practice, neither has separated themselves from the other, per Reed.
In what has been a trend throughout OTAs, though, neither O’Connell nor Minshew stood out on the field. They’ve struggled to push the ball downfield, have had too many off-target throws and don’t look to have their timing down. It’s still early, but both quarterbacks have a long way to go.
Growing pains are expected in the offseason, as both quarterbacks are under a new offensive coordinator. Not to mention, the Raiders’ defense is really good.
Nevertheless, the Raiders need adequate quarterback play in 2024 if they want to break their three-year playoff drought.
