Tomorrow is report day for Raiders veterans, with the first practice taking place on Thursday. Those practices will begin without three players on the field — all of whom are projected starters.
Today the Raiders announced defensive tackles Johnathan Hankins and Bilal Nichols along with cornerback Trayvon Mullen will begin camp on the Physically Unable to Perform list.
Mullen had offseason foot surgery while Hankins and Nichols’s injuries have not been revealed.
The interior defensive line figures to be led by Hankins and Nichols this season. Hankins was re-signed while the former Bears DT Nichols signed as a free agent.
Other defensive tackles vying for playing time in rotation include free agent additions Vernon Butler, Kyle Peko, and Andrew Billings and drafted rookies Matthew Butler and Neil Farrell Jr.
Mullen would appear to have an inside track on one of the starting outside cornerback jobs. Though that job is not guaranteed and missing extended time could give one of the other hopefuls a chance to prove they deserve a shot at unseating him.
The Raiders added several free agent cornerbacks this offseason including Rock Ya-Sin, Anthony Averett, and Darius Phillips. While Nate Hobbs will once again start inside at nickel.