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5 Las Vegas Raiders rookies to watch in preseason game against San Francisco 49ers

A heavy emphasis on the UDFAs, while a third-round pick also needs to step up

Yahoo Sports · August 27, 2026

5 Las Vegas Raiders rookies to watch in preseason game against San Francisco 49ers

This will also mark the end of training camp, as the NFL's cutdown day is right around the corner on Sunday, raising the stakes for every player on the bubble to make the 53-man roster. So, this week's rookies to watch are heavily focused on the Raiders' undrafted free agents, with one third-round pick thrown in the mix.

As the 67th pick of the draft, it's highly unlikely that Crawford is in danger of getting cut. Also, the Auburn product was a project coming out of college and wasn't expected to have a big role this year after Las Vegas signed Kwity Paye , re-signed Malcolm and had the Maxx Crosby trade fall through during free agency. However, Crawford has generated just one pressure in the first two preseason games, per Pro Football Focus , and hasn't been a factor against the run, either.

Meanwhile, S&BP's Bill Williamson listed three other edges —UDFA Cian Slone and veterans Patrick Johnson and Jahfari Harvey—as players to watch against San Francisco , and all three have outperformed Crawford this month. Again, the third-rounder's roster spot should be safe, but he's looking at getting buried on the depth chart if he doesn't step up on Thursday night.

Read the original at Yahoo Sports

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