3 Things to Watch During the Raiders' Preseason

The NFL preseason is right around the corner, a trio of tune-up games as teams prepare for the regular season.

While the preseason has very little, if any at all, implication on the regular season, it’s still the first chance for fans to see their teams back in action after over a half a year absence.

The Las Vegas Raiders are set to take on the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, Aug. 13, a chance for all the new faces the team added during the offseason to get some run on the field with their new teammates.

With that being said, let’s take a look at three storylines to watch as Coach Josh McDaniels and his squad go through the preseason.

Health -- The Raiders’ new starting quarterback is Jimmy Garoppolo, a talented player and well-liked teammate who has dealt with several injuries throughout his career.

While Garoppolo porbably won’t play many snaps during the preseason, it will be worth monitoring how he performs returning from his offseason foot procedure. The Raiders are have been cautious with their new starter under center.

Garoppolo is not the only Raider working his way back from injury. Wide receiver Hunter Renfrow, cornerback Nate Hobbs and linebacker Divine Deablo are back healthy after an injury-riddled 2022 season. Their ability to stay on the field will be crucial to the Raiders’ success in 2023.

Young Player Opportunities -- The preseason is a chance for young players to showcase their talent, and for some, earn a spot on an NFL roster.

The Raiders’ 2023 class has a chance to be a foundational class for General Manager Dave Ziegler, and these rookies will get a chance to carve out roles for themselves going into the regular season.

Late-round picks like safety Christopher Smith II, linebacker Amari Burney and quarterback Aidan O’Connell probably will see a lion’s share of snaps throughout the preseason, and this is their shot to figure out what they are going to bring to the Raiders either in 2023 or beyond.

Chemistry -- With so many new faces in Las Vegas this season, their ability to mesh with each other will be crucial for the team.

Part of that is developing chemistry and communication with each other on the field. On defense, linebacker addition Robert Spillane and Deablo will need to get on the same page, and safety Marcus Epps can take Tre’von Moehrig under his wing.

While expected regular season starters only play a small percentage of snaps during the preseason, those snaps are a chance for players to learn how they fit with each other on the field.

The Silver and Black open the preseason by hosting the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, Aug. 13, at 4 p.m. EDT/1 p.m. PDT.

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