Raiders’ 53-man roster breakdown: How many draft picks made the cut?

The Raiders trimmed their roster to 53 players Tuesday and waived a pair of draft picks in the process.

Quarterback Cam Miller and wide receiver Tommy Mellott, both sixth-round picks in April’s draft, were among the players the team cut.

The Raiders also released wide receiver Alex Bachman and veteran safety Terrell Edmunds. The team, in a bit of a surprise, kept quarterback Aidan O’Connell on the active roster instead of placing him on injured reserve. O’Connell is expected to miss at least six weeks with a fractured wrist.

The Raiders did place safety Lonnie Johnson Jr. on IR after he broke his fibula during a team scrimmage earlier this month. He is eligible to return after the team’s first four regular-season games.

Miller and Mellott are candidates for the Raiders’ practice squad, but they have to get through waivers first. They can join the practice squad if they aren’t claimed by 9 a.m. Wednesday.

The other players the team waived Tuesday were defensive tackle Zach Carter, running back Chris Collier, defensive end Jahfari Harvey, wide receiver Shedrick Jackson, linebacker Matt Jones, defensive tackle Treven Ma’ae, guard Atonio Mafi, running back Sincere McCormick, defensive end Ovie Oghoufo, tight end Carter Runyon, wide receiver Justin Shorter, offensive lineman Laki Tasi, safety Trey Taylor, cornerback Greedy Vance, offensive tackle Dalton Wagner and cornerback JT Woods.

The Raiders also released tight end Albert Okwuegbunam Jr.

Surprises

Edmunds, as recently as last week, was getting reps with the Raiders in their heavy nickel package. It was the same role Johnson filled before his injury.

There is a chance Edmunds still helps out before Johnson returns. He is a free agent and could sign with the Raiders’ practice squad. If Edmunds does so, he can be called up from the practice squad to the active roster for four games. That could end up being perfect for the Raiders if Johnson is able to return when he’s eligible in Week 5.

Otherwise, the team could ask third-year safety Chris Smith II to take on an expanded role in the short term.

O’Connell’s situation

The Raiders sent a fifth-round pick to the Browns to acquire veteran quarterback Kenny Pickett on Monday. The 2022 first-round pick of the Steelers is now expected to become starter Geno Smith’s primary backup.

That makes the decision to keep O’Connell on the initial 53-man roster a bit curious. The Raiders obviously have a plan for that spot. They could make a waiver claim or sign a veteran free agent and then place O’Connell on IR once the new player is added. He could also become a trade chip if another team loses a quarterback to injury.

Rookie class

Nine of the 11 players the Raiders drafted in April made the team, with Miller and Mellott being the only exceptions.

The group includes running back Ashton Jeanty (first round), wide receiver Jack Bech (second round), cornerback Darien Porter (third round), offensive lineman Caleb Rogers (third round), offensive lineman Charles Grant (third round), wide receiver Dont’e Thornton Jr. (fourth round), defensive tackle Tonka Hemingway (fourth round), defensive tackle JJ Pegues (sixth round) and linebacker Cody Lindenberg (seventh round).

Contact Vincent Bonsignore at vbonsignore@reviewjournal.com. Follow @VinnyBonsignore on X.