3 Raiders To Keep Eye on Throughout Training Camp

One of the best parts of training camp is watching players who are not household names move up the depth chart and earn playing time. The Raiders have more than a few unknowns and questions that need to be answered ahead of their Week 1 matchup against the Miami Dolphins.

Training camp will go a long way toward answering those questions. Below are just a few players worth paying attention to throughout the rest of training camp.

OL Spencer Burford

For all the new moving parts the Raiders are in the process of implementing, many of them have ties to Kubiak and are players and coaches he is familiar with. Burford is one of those players. Offensive guard is the most significant question facing the Raiders at the moment.

Burford is currently slated as a starter throughout early training camp, but is in a competition for the position. If Burford can solidify Las Vegas' left guard position, it would expedite their rebuild. In fact, it would put them ahead of schedule.

"Spencer is a guy that's got some really good film in San Francisco. He's come here and has gelled well with our system, and is a big part of this guard competition,” Klint Kubiak explained.

DL Tonka Hemingway

The Raiders have spent the past few seasons building up their interior defensive line with players they believe are uniquely talented, yet also relatively interchangeable. However, fit is always a part of any schematic change, and the Raiders' defensive line has already begun to see some movement.

It is still very, very early, and under Kubiak's coaching staff, it is clear that a player who practices with the starters one day may not be with them the next. However, it is still hard not to notice the quiet rise of second-year defensive lineman Tonka Hemingway.

After how Hemingway finished last season, and the Raiders' switch to a 3-4 defense, Hemingway has a chance to develop into a significant contributor. Nobody knows the Raiders' defensive line better than their former defensive line coach and now defensive coordinator, Rob Leonard.

"Maturity, consistency. I mean, he is quiet now, but he has done everything right that he controls from the offseason. Learned a lot of his routine from Maxx. It's been fun to watch him develop as a man, as a player, and now he's got to carry it over to pads,” Leonard said while describing Hemingway following training camp.

It will be interesting to watch him continue to battle the stiff competition he faces from Las Vegas' other serviceable interior defensive linemen. Hemingway has an opportunity; he must make the most of it.

OL Trey Zuhn

The Raiders will likely have to use one of their reserve offensive linemen at some point this season. Considering he can play all five positions on the line, Zuhn has a high chance of being the player they call upon.

Throughout Organized Team Activities, mandatory minicamp, and now the early part of training camp, Zuhn has lined up at nearly every position along the line, as the Raiders try to figure out where he can help them the most.

As the Raiders continue through camp, it will be worth watching where Zuhn lines up during each practice. Offensive coordinator Andrew Janocko recently shared his thoughts on Zuhn and the process the rookie offensive lineman is currently working through in camp.

"We want to ask him to do different things and then as the dust settles then settle them into certain roles. But right now, just asking these guys to do a bunch of different things and develop their skills," Janocko said.