Raiders sleepers making noise early in camp

With four days of training camp (and three days of pre-camp warm-up for some) complete, a few sleepers have emerged for the Raiders. Here are a few of the young hopefuls who have stood out to me over the first week.

RB  Michael Dyer

With Trent Richardson having missed the first four days of camp, Dyer has been getting some good reps and he's taken full advantage of them. The mighty mouse back does well following his blockers and once he gets a hole, he can shoot through it very quickly. He makes at least one nice long run in practice which draws cheers from the fans in attendance. The Raiders might have something in this undrafted rookie.

CB  Neiko Thorpe

While the primary discussion has surrounded the top three corners on the team - TJ Carrie, DJ Hayden, and Keith McGill, Thorpe has been putting together a nice camp all his own. He is battling to be that next guy off the bench behind the top three and the first on the field as an injury replacement.

He came on strong in last year's camp as one of the team's offseason reserve/future signings and earned a spot on the roster, though he was buried on the depth chart. That is not easy to do. Consider that of the five newly added reserve/future signings the Raiders had this year, none of them even made it to OTA's.

TE  Gabe Holmes

He was one of the few reported visits the Raiders had prior to the draft who they actually signed following the draft. This former basketball star is making a strong impression on the team and as a result has seen a lot of reps with the second team offense. If the team keeps more than three tight ends, he is making a case to be that fourth guy. If not, he is a strong candidate for a practice squad spot to see if he can continue his development.

S Jimmy Hall

This 6-1, 230-pound undrafted rookie has shown up well in run support. He does well finding the ball, shedding blocks, and makes solid tackles. All qualities which you'd expect from a former outside linebacker. Currently he is running with the third team while Larry Asante and Brandian Ross get the second team work. If he can show some potential in coverage and continue his a strong safety, he is a prime practice squad candidate to stash while he develops

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