HENDERSON, Nev.—The Las Vegas Raiders are set to host the Arizona Cardinals on Thursday for their first preseason game of the 2026 NFL season.Multiple jobs are still up for grabs, but the roster seems to be creating separation, which is normal this time of year.Las Vegas Raiders GM John Spytek, and minority owner Tom Brady | Darrell Craig Harris, On SIBelow is my projected 53-man roster after the first week in pads. I did a projection before camp, and this will show some of that movement.What This MeansThe position group is underlined, followed by the number of players I anticipate the team keeping on the 53-man roster. Bolded players are the starters, and italicized players indicate their spot can’t be fairly prognosticated at this time because it is still a battle. Finally, players with an (R) after their name denote they are rookies.Klint Kubiak | Darrell Craig Harris, On SIProjected 53-Man RosterQuarterbacks (3)1. QB Kirk Cousins2. QB Fernando Mendoza (R)3. QB Aidan O'ConnellFernando Mendoza | Arnie Bazemore, On SIFernando Mendoza has shown all of the traits that had NFL executives in love with him before the draft. Is he farther along than I thought he would be right now? Absolutely. Is he ready to be QB1 today? Not at all. I said before the season that I thought he would start regular-season games this year, and I still do. I have the Week 12 matchup in Cleveland, on Sunday, November 29, 2026, pegged as my best guess, barring injury.Running Back/FB (4)4. RB Ashton Jeanty5. RB Mike Washington Jr. (R)6. FB Connor Heyward7. RB Dylan LaubeLas Vegas Raiders RB Dylan Laube | Darrell Craig Harris, On SIAshton Jeanty has had a sensational camp, is somehow even in better shape, and looks to go from good to great this season. Mike Washington Jr. (MWJ) is the absolute real deal and ready to be the 1-2 punch with Jeanty that others want no part of. Dylan Laube is solidified as a multi-dimensional player, and FB Connor Heyward is a secret weapon more people need to be talking about.Wide Receivers (6)8. WR Tre Tucker9. WR Jalen “Speedy” Nailor10. WR Malik Benson (R)Malik Benson | Darrell Craig Harris, On SI11. WR Dont’e Thornton OR EJ Williams (R) 12. WR Jack Bech 13. WR Dareke Young Jalen Nailo | Darrell Craig Harris, On SIJalen Nailor and Tre Tucker are the two starters, and Malik Benson, the rookie, looks like the WR3. Jack Bech has seen his camp improve, and Dareke Young was brought in not as a pass catcher, but more of a special teams savant. Thornton has not had a bad camp, but he has not had a good camp either, and his job is ripe for a young player to take if he steps up in preseason action. There are several who could; I would probably give the slight edge to Williams. If a young player can shine as a pass catcher and on special teams, Young’s job could also be up for grabs, but that hasn’t happened after two weeks.Offensive Line (9)14. C Tyler Linderbaum15. OL (All Five Spots) Trey Zuhn III (R)16. T Charles Grant Las Vegas Raiders OL Kolton Miller & Jackson Powers-Johnson | Darrell Craig Harris, On SI17. T Kolton Miller18. T Delmar “DJ” Glaze, “The Mule”19. IOL Jackson Powers-Johnson (JPJ)Las Vegas Raiders OT Delmar "DJ" Glaze | Darrell Craig Harris, Sports Illustrated20. G Spencer Burford21. G Caleb Rogers 22. IOL Jordan Meredith or Will PutnamSpencer Burford | Darrell Craig Harris, On SIFour of the five spots have clear starters before the preseason games begin. As I told you in my positional preview, the G spot is the biggest battle on the team. JPJ came into camp as the starter, but he is now splitting reps with the first string with Caleb Rogers, who is making a strong push. The preseason games will filter that out. Jordan Meredith has had some struggles at C, and that opens the door for Will Putnam to compete for his job.Tight Ends (3)23. TE Brock Bowers24. TE Michael Mayer25. TE Ian ThomasLas Vegas Raiders TE Michael Mayer | Darrell Craig Harris, Sports IllustratedPerhaps no position on this roster looks as deep and solidified as tight end. Bowers is the best in the NFL, Mayer is having his best camp in his first four years, and Thomas has expanded his game from a special-teams savant and elite blocker to include downfield receiving capabilities. Credit GM Spytek and his amazing team for also amassing some very impressive UDFA players, making the practice squad potentially look promising for the future.Specialists (3)26. P AJ Cole27. K Matt Gay28. LS Alex Ward OR Tyler Duzansky (R)Matt Gay | Darrell Craig Harris, On SIOne area that Kubiak can sleep easily over when he gets into bed each night during his four hours of sleep is his specialists. Cole is the best in the NFL, and Gay is kicking like the seasoned vet he is. The battle here is for long snapper, and it is still up for grabs, but Ward does have the slight edge.Inside Linebacker (4)29. ILB Nakobe Dean30. ILB/Weapon Quay Walker31. ILB Cody Lindenberg32. ILB Tommy “Freaking” EichenbergQuay Walker | Darrell Craig Harris, On SIDean and Walker have been nothing short of sensational, and that is what you want from your high-dollar free agents. The good news here is that while “The Bergs,” Tommy and Cody, are young, both have had excellent camps and demonstrated expanded skill sets, showing they worked their tails off this offseason.Outside Linebacker (5)33. OLB/DE Maxx Crosby34. OLB/DE Kwity Paye35. OLB Malcolm Koonce36. OLB Keyron Crawford (R)37. OLB/DE Cian Slone (R) Cian Slone | Darrell Craig Harris, On SICrosby is an unblockable force, and while I love the “The Condor” nickname, perhaps “Godzilla” would be a better fit for what he is doing. Paye looks every part of what they thought he would be. Koonce has had a slow camp; Crawford has shone at times, but also got dinged up. Slone has really shone in every facet of both defense and special teams as a UDFA hidden gem, and I think he has earned a spot.Safety (4)38. S Jeremy Chinn39. S Isaiah Pola-Mao (IPM)40. S/DB Treydan Stukes (R)41. S Dalton Johnson (R)Las Vegas Raiders S Isaiah Pola-Mao | Darrell Craig Harris, On SIChinn has been the leader and executioner that DC Rob Leonard loves. IPM looks back to his old self after the franchise's collapse in 2025. Stukes has flashed raw superstar talent, and Johnson has given glimpses of his impressive skills.Cornerbacks (6)42. CB Taron Johnson43. CB Decamerion Richardson44. CB Jermod McCoy (R)Eric Stokes | Arnie Basemore, On SI45. CB Eric Stokes46. CB Darien Porter 47. CB Hezekiah Masses (R)Hezekiah Masses | Darrell Craig Harris, On SIJohnson is a superstar, the best nickel in the NFL, who also plays S and LB. Stokes is playing like a Pro Bowl-caliber star, and the battle for the third starter, I give the edge to Porter for one simple reason: he isn’t a rookie. Masses is all over him for that spot. Richardson is playing his best football in the NFL, and while on a governor, McCoy shows glimpses when given opportunities.Defensive Line (6)48. DL Adam Butler49. DL Jonah Laulu50. DL Thomas Booker IVLas Vegas Raiders DL Thomas Booker | Darrell Craig Harris, On SI51. DL Brandon Cleveland (R)52. DL Tonka Hemingway53. DL JJ PeguesTonka Hemingway | Darrell Craig Harris, On SIPerhaps no position group on this roster seems more unsettled than DT. The Raiders are rebuilding, so they won’t do anything that gets them off course. That said, Pegues needs to show more, and the seventh-round rookie looks like a seventh-round rookie who needs some time.Watch My Latest Training Camp PodccastAdd us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow