Raiders football is finally here with preseason Week 1 kicking off tonight against the Los Angeles Rams. With all the drama in the news with Antonio Brown, game action should take Raiders fans mind off the noise.
Who are the players to watch in tonight first preseason game? Let’s take a look at the top five players to watch.
First-round picks
Yes, this technically makes the article eight players, but the first-round picks will be playing significant time during this game. It will be our first chance to get a look at Clelin Ferrell, Johnathan Abram, and Josh Jacobs.
All three rookies should start with the first-team defense and offense. Fans will want to see them produce and display why Mayock thought he should draft them in the first round. Expect Jacobs to play into the second quarter and get the right amount of carries when Mike Glennon is in the game.
Abram and Ferrell will play a lot less than Jacobs with Raiders wanting to evaluate other defensive ends and safeties on the roster. The first-round safety will get his first chance to lay the wood on an opposing player that’s not practice but want to see his coverage skills. With Ferrell, fans want to see how much pressure he can put on the quarterback that makes him worth the top-five selection.
Arden Key
Arden Key is a player who got a high amount of snaps last year after injuries. The coaching staff wanted to ease him along, but he was thrown into the fire and struggled to set the edge and create pressure.
Key has bounced back in camp and had a good showing during joint practices against the Rams. It will be nice to see Key take those practices into the games and dominate against lesser competition. He needs to take his game to the next level and will get every opportunity to do so in Week 1 of the preseason.
Hunter Renfrow
The superstar of training camp so far has been the fifth-round pick, Hunter Renfrow. Renfrow has been extraordinary, to say the least displaying the same tactful route running from his days at Clemson.
Renfrow will play deep into the game and could produce enough to have him rising fantasy boards. He is a prime PPR candidate in the slot, and what he showed in the joint practices playing with the first team has Raiders fan already buying jerseys. Expect Renfrow to receive plenty of targets and steal the show.
PJ Hall
PJ Hall was a surprise second-round pick by the Raiders in 2018 and did not produce during his first year. Hall has not started with the best camp, either fighting injuries or struggling during one on one sessions.
With Hankins, Ellis, and Hurst comfortably in front of him, Hall will have every chance to prove himself in the next four games. Hall is still an athletic freak with the playing strength of an ox but needs to stay low and take advantage of his height. Show and prove time for the former second-round pick, and it starts Saturday night.
Johnny Townsend
Rich Eisen of NFL Network always says punters matter and Raiders fans have been spoiled over the years. Last year was a wake-up call watching 2018 Fifth-round pick Johnny Townsend disappoint all year with poor punts.
Now Townsend has competition with A.J. Cole and is on the roster bubble. Camp has been up and down allowing Cole to sneak into the conversation as every day passes in camp. Townsend needs a big first week, or he might not even make it through the whole preseason.
