Raiders Must Stay the Course With Young DBs in Preseason

The Las Vegas Raiders have to keep letting their young defensive backs get reps under their belt throughout the preseason.

Aug 10, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Las Vegas Raiders safety Tre'von Moehrig (7) warms up before the game against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports / Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports

The Las Vegas Raiders will look to bounce back and win their next preseason game against the Dallas Cowboys on Saturday. 

The Raiders are back at home for the first time since January. Raider Nation will be excited to see the Silver and Black take their home field, even if it’s just an exhibition game. 

The Raiders dropped their first preseason game to the Minnesota Vikings, 24-23, on a last-second field goal. There were plenty of reasons to be optimistic about the team’s outcome, but there were also things to clean up. 

The secondary’s depth had a rough outing. Much of that group consists of young players who are trying to establish their role on the team, so seeing them get beat downfield multiple times is not promising. 

However, the Raiders should not make any significant changes as they head into their next preseason game. They should let the young players learn on the field and overcome their mistakes with real game reps. 

Seventh-round rookie M.J. Devonshire got beat down the sideline by Trishton Jackson for a long touchdown. Devonshire should see lots of action over the next two preseason games, so he will have to improve his coverage skills downfield. 

As a prospect, Devonshire was an excellent cover corner out of Pittsburgh, so the talent is there for him to make an improvement. 

Chris Smith II also got beat on a deep touchdown after Trent Sherfield went in motion and got open. Smith was a fifth-round selection in the previous draft, and he could be in line for a bigger role in his second season.

Smith has a high IQ and excellent intangibles, so this play was likely a mistake that will be cleaned up over the next few weeks. 

The best way for young defensive backs to improve is to learn on the field. They have chances to make more plays with more snaps, which should make coaches and fans feel more optimistic about their depth in the secondary. 

Preseason win-loss records do not mean anything, but the growth young players show does. The Raiders should let their young defensive backs take that next step by playing.

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