2019 rookie class becoming heart and soul of 2021 Raiders

For however long Derek Carr stays in Las Vegas, he will be the face of the Raiders. But a transition is clearly underway for the team’s heartbeat and soul.

One week into training camp, the 2019 draftees and undrafted free agents are finding their voice and assuming a significant leadership role on a team that has undergone nearly a complete overhaul since coach Jon Gruden took over four years ago.

“That’s something we talked about since the first day we came in,” said running back Josh Jacobs, one of three 2019 first-round picks.

Added receiver Hunter Renfrow, a fifth-round pick in 2019: “We have such a tight-knit group. I think we’ve prided ourselves since we’ve come in on trying to change the culture, change the direction of the program.”

Three years later, a group that has produced a running back coming off two straight 1,000-yard seasons, two starting defensive ends, a starting cornerback and safety, a reliable slot wide receiver, one of the best blocking fullbacks in the NFL, a tight end poised for a breakout year, a starting punter, a new starting center and two reserve defensive backs, is feeling more and more comfortable being the conscience and compass of the Raiders.

“We felt that a little last year,” said Renfrow. “But obviously we were second-year players, we were still learning.”

That seems to have changed this year.

“It’s little things in practice,” Renfrow said. “It’s finishing through the line, which I felt like we’ve done a great job with that. Finishing runs. Chasing the ball down the field. You can just see little things along the way that we’re taking more pride in. We’re excited about it.”

“The energy level is extreme,” Gruden said. “We’ve got good veteran leadership on this team. I like the culture here, better than any of the teams I’ve had in a long time or been a part of.”

The 2019 group is the driving force behind the improved culture. It is evident not only in Maxx Crosby’s voice constantly ringing across the practice field or the next-level shape he reported in, but the work he put in throughout the offseason to make sure he was in position to back it all up on the field.

Crosby, a fourth-round pick in 2019 from Eastern Michigan, has been a bright spot in training camp and seems poised for the best season in his career.

“He leads our team in effort,” Gruden said. “You talk about a guy that’s here in the offseason, I think he lived in the facility. My car’s here, his car is here. I’d drive by the facility, his car is still there. He’s incredible. He’s in incredible shape. He can go all day.”

Crosby’s example has permeated throughout the team, especially the close-knit 2019 group that grinded away at the Henderson headquarters long after OTAs and minicamps ended.

“No such thing as a day off” is how third-year fullback Alec Ingold put it.

The benefit, of course, is other players felt compelled to follow. “That’s on us from a leadership standpoint to get the guys going,” Renfrow said.

The first draft class of the Gruden and Mike Mayock tandem in 2019 went heavy on players from winning college programs. Jacobs arrived from Alabama, the current college football standard-bearer. Trayvon Mullen, Clelin Ferrell and Renfrow played at Clemson, then the reigning national champions.

Foster Moreau was a key cog at perennial power LSU. Ingold, an undrafted free agent from Wisconsin, helped the Badgers win 42 games over his four years in Madison.

As accustomed as they were to success, the notion of losing didn’t sit well with them. The reality is, they were coming to a team that went 4-12 the season before and understood they likely faced a process getting the Raiders turned around.

But as Jacobs explained, from the moment the 2019 group hooked up, they challenged each other to form the foundation that would restore the Raiders to prominence.

“We were all in a group chat and like, man, we’re going to try to come in a change the identity of this team and do it the right way and put our stamp on it,” Jacobs remembered.

Cognizant of their rookie status, they understood the process had to unfold organically rather than forcefully. “Just go in there and work,” Jacobs said.

The next step in the process, of course, is winning. The Raiders have made gradual improvements over the last two seasons, finshing 7-9 in 2019 and 8-8 last year. It hasn’t happened as fast as some would like. But with the primary focus being on improving the Raiders’ culture and foundation, there is a conviction that more wins will follow.

“We felt like, regardless of the record, we’ve gotten better every year,” Renfrow said. “We’re close to putting together something special.”

Contact Vincent Bonsignore at vbonsignore@reviewjournal.com. Follow @VinnyBonsignore onTwitter.