Raiders Who Helped Their Roster Chances vs. Texans

The Las Vegas Raiders kept most of their starters on the sideline in their second preseason game under Klint Kubiak. Nearly all of the Raiders' offensive and defensive starters sat out against the Houston Texans on Thursday, allowing Kubiak and his staff to get a better look at their reserves.

Las Vegas is rebuilding its roster after years of failed draft picks and free agency moves. To complete that turnaround, the Raiders will need more than just their stars and starters to perform well. They will need their reserves to step up during what is a long, 17-game season.

As Kubiak and general manager John Spytek continue to fill out the back end of the roster, every snap counts. Thursday was a productive day, as it gave Las Vegas' coaching staff a clearer idea of what they have. Below are several players who had a positive showing against the Texans.

Segun Olubi

The Raiders signed Quay Walker and Nakobe Dean to help solidify what was a bare group of linebackers following the 2025 season. Yet, the Raiders' depth chart faces serious questions after Walker and Dean. It will likely take more than this offseason to answer those questions.

Along with Walker and Dean, the Raiders also signed veteran linebacker Segun Olubi. Although Olubi will largely help the Raiders' special teams, Thursday night's game was proof that his value to the Raiders' defense may be underrated. Las Vegas should give Olubi more action.

Dean has a history of health issues, and while Tommy Eichenberg is ahead of Olubi on the depth chart, Thursday confirmed that this should not be set in stone at the moment. At the very worst, Olubi has looked just as good as Eichenberg in training camp and both preseason games.

If the Raiders are serious about there being competition across the board, Olubi needs more playing time in Las Vegas' final preseason game next week against the San Francisco 49ers. If Dean goes down, Eichenberg and Olubi will see a significant increase in playing time. It only makes sense to be prepared.

Folorunso Fatukasi

The Raiders signed Fatukasi just a few days ago, as they were looking for additional depth along the defensive line. The former Texans defensive lineman made multiple solid plays. Some showed up on the stat sheet, and some did not, which is just what Las Vegas needs along the interior defensive line.

Fatukasi's sheer size and agility make him a solid option for the Raiders to consider giving additional playing time to moving forward. Doing so could help keep Tonka Hemingway fresh and protect the depth the Raiders have already built at the position.

Fatukasi needs more repetitions and likely further conditioning, but that can come with time. Las Vegas' coaching staff must seriously consider giving him a significant number of defensive snaps in their final preseason game.

The Raiders may have found a significant contributor in Fatukasi, as his strengths match what Las Vegas needs. Like several other positions, the interior of the defensive line will be handled by committee. Fatukasi should be higher on the depth chart.

Treydan Stukes

Stukes was all over the field on Thursday night, showing speed, quickness, and the physicality needed at the safety position. Stukes will be even better when he is on the field with Las Vegas' defensive starters. Stukes flashed his skill set on multiple plays.

The rookie defensive back gained valuable experience against the Texans. Thursday night's game looked like Stukes is quickly beginning to grasp the speed of football at the professional level. It is still the preseason, and things will go to another level in the regular season, but Stukes is on pace.

Trey Zuhn III

Zuhn was repeatedly lined up against former No. 1 overall pick, defensive end Jadeveon Clowney on Thursday. Clowney is a far cry from what he once was, but he is still in the league after all these years for a reason. Zuhn had his ups and downs, but largely performed admirably.

Thursday was further confirmation that Las Vegas has major plans for Zuhn, and that their decision to draft him was a wise one. It remains to be seen where Zuhn can help the Raiders most, but it is only a matter of time before Las Vegas' coaching staff figures out the answer.

Jahfari Harvey and Patrick Johnson

Both defensive ends made big plays against the Texans, as they each forced a fumble. Johnson had a second consecutive strong preseason showing, to go along with a strong training camp. Both players deserve more of a look moving forward.

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