COSTA MESA, Calif. — Everyone knew that Las Vegas Raiders first-round pick Brock Bowers was going to make an impact. Just watching his game film at Georgia or seeing his explosiveness out of catches the first couple of days of training camp told you that.
And second-round pick Jackson Powers-Johnson has a starting spot all but waiting for him at left guard when he returns from a concussion.
But two other Raiders rookies have made noise at camp. Third-round pick DJ Glaze did well enough against Maxx Crosby in practice this week that it tweaked the pass rusher Friday, while sixth-round pick Dylan Laube continued to get reps with the first- and second-team at running back.
On Tuesday, Glaze stepped in for a banged-up Thayer Munford Jr. and was not embarrassed by Crosby, who has been relentless and whose pressure on the quarterbacks has essentially halted practice at times. Pierce said the 6-foot-4, 315-pound tackle out of Maryland caught his eye long before that.
“He showed up (Tuesday) in a big way,” Pierce said. “He didn’t blink, didn’t flinch. That first rep against Maxx is always going to be tough, but as the practice went on, you saw a guy growing. But forget Tuesday. Since he’s gotten here, he’s been steady Eddie. He’s been consistent in everything he’s done.
“He’s learning from the veterans and doesn’t say a lot, and he puts his best foot forward every day. You have to be excited about where he is going and his approach.”
Crosby definitely got a little excited. Players look for any edge they can get, and he apparently mistook the reports that had been positive about Glaze as being negative toward him. After one sack against Glaze on Friday, he started chirping at the media tent. On the next play, Crosby beat Glaze again and he chirped louder and longer.
Turnt up to the Maxx 🦅
Watch an all-new Mic’d Up NOW ⬇️
— Las Vegas Raiders (@Raiders) August 1, 2024
Glaze smiled big when he was asked Friday about going against Crosby. He said it was just tough love — emphasis on love.
“Sometimes after a rack of plays,” Glaze said, “Maxx will come find me and say, ‘This is what I saw … if you stayed square this much longer, I probably would have had nowhere to go.’ Reps are important, but having one of the greats tell you what you can do better is ultimately what’s going to help you improve your craft.”
Glaze is set to back up Munford at right tackle this season but has also been taking reps on the left side. Andrus Peat is working with the first team at left tackle in Kolton Miller’s absence. (Pierce said Miller is working hard to come back from offseason shoulder surgery and should be returning to the practice field soon.)
As for Laube, the rookie out of New Hampshire had been getting work on third downs even before veteran backup Ameer Abdullah missed practice Friday. Zamir White and Alexander Mattison seem set atop the depth chart, but Laube thinks his skills as a receiver might create opportunities for him on third down.
“I think that’s kind of my best quality as a player because I’m more of a receiving back,” Laube said after practice. “I can still run the ball, but in a sense, me getting a matchup with a linebacker is super important and I can win every single time.”
Abdullah had 34 touches as the occasional third-down back a season ago, and the role is wide-open. Mattison had a couple of really nice grabs Friday.
“It’s wide open, it’s wide open everywhere,” Pierce said. “It’s competition, and I know it’s kind of cliche, but it’s true. … Zamir’s gotten better as far as catching the ball out of the backfield and blitz pickup, and there are some rookies out there that we see flashing.”
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Laube is listed as 5-10, 206 pounds, and if he really is that big, he still would hear people doubting his ability to measure up in the NFL after a college career in the Coastal Athletic Association. But he had suspicions that the NFL wasn’t too big for him, and now he says he knows.
“I’d say the Senior Bowl and the combine definitely prepared me for this, but at the same time, when you step on this field, you don’t really know what to truly expect,” Laube said. “And that first day at camp was kind of my first kind of step to be like, ‘OK, I truly belong here.’ And it’s been all business since.”
The first time Pierce watched film of Laube, he said, “Well, this guy played in New Hampshire.”
But Pierce said Friday that “it’s translating.” From running the ball in drills to blitz pickup to catching the ball out of the backfield, Laube is checking all the boxes.
“And the thing about it is that it’s not flashy,” Pierce said. “If you don’t watch practice closely, you might miss him. But if you really watch the body of work, you will see a rookie that is consistent — and that’s hard to do at this age. They usually get a little tired by now. They’ve been training since January. But he’s making the most out of his opportunity.”
Friday highlights
Players wore pads and shorts, as they gear up for Saturday night’s scrimmage. The quarterbacks both had their moments but neither is pulling away in the competition. Aidan O’Connell hit some longer passes, but still holds on to the ball too long at times and can’t get out of the way of pressure. Gardner Minshew II completed most of his passes and can buy time with his feet, but is not as accurate as O’Connell.
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The star of the day was Tre Tucker, who had his share of drops the first week and a half of camp. He had a pretty over-the-shoulder, late-hands catch for a touchdown from O’Connell. And Tucker even drew a pass-interference flag on Jakorian Bennett on the 15-yard toss.
Minshew had a 20-yard touchdown pass down the middle to rookie receiver Ramel Keyton. Keyton and veteran Kristian Wilkerson had a productive day, taking advantage of Davante Adams’ absence — he and his wife have a baby on the way. DJ Turner also had a nice back-shoulder catch of a deep pass from O’Connell.
While Crosby and Christian Wilkins get most of the attention up front, defensive tackles Adam Butler and Byron Young continued their strong showings. Butler, a seventh-year veteran, has been particularly loud in his celebrations of his good plays at camp, and there is good reason.
“I have a new attitude,” Butler said. “I want to be seen. … I want everyone to know that I am here. I am not going back to being just a third-down player.”
(Photo of Dylan Laube: Ric Tapia / Getty Images)
