The Las Vegas Raiders open training camp in nine days, and beyond the three players already drawing “unicorn” status — Maxx Crosby, Tyler Linderbaum and Brock Bowers — a second tier of veterans is pulling fan attention as camp approaches.
Reporter Darrell Craig Harris, writing for SI/On SI, polled Raiders fans on social media about which players they’re most eager to watch this camp. Three names came up repeatedly: wide receiver Jalen Nailor, cornerback Darien Porter, and interior offensive lineman Jackson Powers-Johnson.
Jalen Nailor Brings Speed to a Crowded Receiver Room
A fan using the handle Just Steve posted on X (July 17, 2026) naming Nailor as a player to watch this camp. Harris, who has covered Nailor since his days as a top wide receiver prospect at Michigan State, says Nailor projects as a strong complement to Tre Tucker and Brock Bowers in new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak’s scheme — provided he stays healthy.
Darien Porter Looks to Bounce Back After a Rough 2025
A fan account, NalgonaNelly, flagged cornerback Darien Porter in a July 17, 2026 post on X. According to Harris’s reporting, Porter was among the players hit hardest by the dysfunction that led to the Raiders’ 2025 collapse, and the writer expects him to benefit from a fresh coaching staff heading into a competitive cornerback battle — one that also includes rookies Jermod McCoy and Hezekiah Masses.
Jackson Powers-Johnson’s Starting Job Is Not Guaranteed
The most pointed question came from a fan account, Rasputin2, who asked on X whether Jackson Powers-Johnson will even make the roster by Week 1 — let alone start. Harris reports that JPJ is in the middle of what could be the roster’s most contested position battle, and that if the season started today, he would be QB1… [correction: he would be the starter at his position].
Offensive line coach Rick Dennison, described by Harris as widely regarded as one of the league’s top position coaches, spoke about Powers-Johnson’s development this spring. According to Harris’s reporting, Dennison said Powers-Johnson has been coached as a “rough and tumble” finisher who needs to better control his energy on the field, and that previous coaching staffs were frustrated at times by his emotional play leading to costly mistakes.
Dennison also credited Powers-Johnson’s coachability, according to Harris, saying the lineman responds directly to instruction rather than arguing calls.
Powers-Johnson, a second-round pick (44th overall) in the 2024 NFL Draft, enters this camp with his clearest opportunity yet to lock down a starting job, per Harris’s reporting.
What It Means
None of this rises to confirmed roster news — camp battles are still open, and no depth chart is finalized. But the pattern fans are pointing to lines up with what beat reporting has flagged as real question marks: can Nailor stay on the field, can Porter rebound from a chaotic year, and can Powers-Johnson win a starting job he was drafted to fill.
