These 3 Raiders position battles could come down to the wire

The Raiders are still not ready to make a call on some of their key position battles.

That means Saturday’s preseason finale against the Cardinals could go a long way toward determining who takes the field for the team’s opener against the Patriots on Sept. 7.

Some of the spots still up for grabs are right guard, cornerback and defensive tackle. The fact those positions are in flux doesn’t guarantee the Raiders starters will play Saturday, but there’s a good chance that could happen as the team tries to get a handle on things.

Here’s a closer look at a few competitions going down to the wire:

Right guard

The biggest surprise of training camp was that second-year offensive lineman Jackson Powers-Johnson lost the starting center job to veteran Jordan Meredith.

The second-biggest surprise may be that Powers-Johnson, 22, is in a legitimate battle for the starting right guard job with free-agent signee Alex Cappa.

Powers-Johnson, a 2024 second-round pick, seemed like a shoo-in to be one of the Raiders building blocks on the offensive line three months ago. Now he may not even begin his second season as a starter.

“We’re just trying to get him really consistent with what we’re trying to teach and what we’re trying to get done,” said offensive line coach Brennan Carroll, the son of coach Pete Carroll. “He’s a diligent worker and is trying like crazy. He’s battling right now, he really wants it. I’m excited to see this third shot out there.”

Cappa, 30, missed the Raiders first two preseason games with a rib injury. The 2018 third-round pick, if he plays Saturday, will need to show he has what it takes to unseat Powers-Johnson.

Cornerback

Kyu Blu Kelly, a Bishop Gorman alum, has fought his way into the battle for the starting cornerback job opposite veteran free-agent signee Eric Stokes.

Kelly, 24, has been splitting first-team reps with rookie third-round pick Darien Porter for more than a week. He missed Wednesday’s practice with a hamstring injury, but was back on the field Thursday.

One notable development at Thursday’s practice was the fact that Kelly got snaps in the slot alongside Porter and Stokes in the Raiders nickel package. That could be a sign the team views the trio as its best three cornerbacks and wants to find a way to put them on the field together.

If so, that’s a credit to Kelly, who has steadily climbed the depth chart this offseason.

“People probably noticed him in the preseason game (against the 49ers because) he made a couple of plays,” defensive backs coach Joe Woods said. “But he’s been getting better and better, really, the last two or three weeks. He’s made a big jump.”

The Raiders also have high hopes for Porter, a former Iowa State standout. The 24-year-old has rare physical gifts — he’s listed at 6-foot-2, 195 pounds and ran a 4.3-second 40-yard dash at the NFL scouting combine — but is still learning the position. Porter began his college career as a wide receiver before transitioning to cornerback.

“Everything for him this year is just going to be learning,” Woods said. “And he’ll get better each and every week.”

Defensive tackle

The Raiders left a huge hole in the middle of their defense when they released defensive tackle Christian Wilkins at the beginning of training camp.

They’ve been trying to fill it ever since.

Veteran defensive tackle Adam Butler has one starting spot locked down, but the Raiders have been rotating through players next to him.

The candidates for the other starting job include former Centennial standout Jonah Laulu, trade acquisition Thomas Booker IV, Leki Fotu, Zach Carter and rookies JJ Pegues and Tonka Hemingway. Fotu has missed both of the Raiders preseason games due to a foot injury, so Saturday is an opportunity for the 26-year-old to stake his claim to a spot.

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