NAPA, Calif. -- Treyvon Hester was the last player drafted by the Oakland Raiders this spring, the defensive tackle from Toledo going 244th overall.
Former Tennessee Volunteers linebacker LaTroy Lewis was not even selected and signed as an undrafted free agent.
But both rookies stood out in the Raiders’ exhibition opener Saturday night, posting two sacks and four tackles apiece in the 20-10 loss to the Arizona Cardinals and giving coaches something to ponder. Especially with NFL Defensive Player of the Year Khalil Mack and outside linebacker Bruce Irvin sitting out.
“Good to see a couple of young guys getting a pass rush,” Raiders coach Jack Del Rio said after the game.
“Knowing we’re going to need some other guys to step up and give us pressure, in particular inside, Hester (showed) up with a couple. No one really asked me about Lewis during the first two weeks of camp, so we’ll probably be talking about Lewis this week. But it was good to see him take advantage of the opportunity and make a couple of plays.”
Hester had been running with the first-team defense in the offseason program and was still there at the start of training camp before being supplanted by third-round pick Eddie Vanderdoes. Hester had 13 sacks in 47 games over four years at Toledo. He had five sacks last season.
“I would say I was a little more anxious than anything,” said Hester, who played 33 snaps. “Just wanting to get out there and put some pads on somebody else, a different opponent, and hit some guys. We showcased the talent around this defense.
“It was just trying to beat the guy in front of me. There was pressure put on by (Denico Autry). He wrapped him up and slowed down the quarterback’s momentum a little bit. I just helped him finish it up. It’s a team thing and a team effort.”
Lewis, meanwhile, is listed as the third-team strongside linebacker on Oakland’s unofficial depth chart, behind Irvin and Shilique Calhoun. So, yeah, you could say Lewis came out of nowhere. Especially since he signed with the Raiders after a tryout during rookie minicamp and played just 23 snaps on defense against the Cardinals.
“It was exciting; had the adrenaline going,” said Lewis, who started only 10 of the 43 games he played in at Tennessee. “I was excited to be back on the field, and I just knew when I got my opportunity I had to make something happen.”
Lewis had 4 ½ career sacks for the Volunteers, so getting nearly half that total in one NFL preseason game raised more than a few eyebrows. He said he watched Calhoun and James Cowser, Mack’s backup, rush the passer in the first half and applied their techniques to his own style.
“They could have had this and that, and I could see them working,” Lewis said. “They kind of set it up for me to get around the edge. I knew I was going speed (rush) as soon as I can. I got the corner and I knew that was the one I wanted.”
Del Rio said Lewis will gain added attention in practice this week.
“Somebody is going to jump out and make plays that maybe we didn’t think he was going to make or nobody really saw that coming,” Del Rio said. “That is just one of those good stories. The kid comes out and works his butt off and makes a couple nice plays. I am sure he will get a little more scrutiny this week. We will see if he can keep it up.”
Lewis is just as interested and said he plans to keep his same approach.
“I know I had a good night, but I am not where I want to be,” he said. “For me, it’s listening in the meeting rooms, taking the notes from Khalil and Bruce and taking them onto the field to keep getting better.
“At the end of the day, you either come in and perform or you don’t. It doesn’t matter if it is one eyeball or a thousand, my goal is to get better and perform every time I step on the field.”