Raiders rookie is pushing for starting role with strong training camp

DJ Glaze was believed to be a selection for the future when the Raiders drafted the offensive tackle in the third round out of Maryland in April.

That future may be arriving sooner than expected.

Glaze had a solid performance at his first training camp in Costa Mesa, California. He was splitting first-team reps with right tackle Thayer Munford by the end. Munford’s grip on the starting job appears safe — for now — but Glaze forced himself into the mix for playing time.

“As you make plays and you produce, you get more reps,” coach Antonio Pierce said.

It’s a credit to Glaze, who is listed at 6-foot-4, 323 pounds, that he made a case for himself right away.

He showed poise and toughness when he replaced an injured Munford during an 11-on-11 period July 30, holding his own against star edge rusher Maxx Crosby and the rest of the Raiders’ stacked defensive line. Glaze wasn’t perfect, but he didn’t back down. That opened some eyes around the team.

“He showed up in a big way,” Pierce said. “Didn’t blink, didn’t flinch. Munford went down, and he popped in there and first rep was against Maxx. OK, that’s always going to be tough. But as the practice went on, you just saw a guy growing.”

Steady build

Glaze’s development has been on an upward trend since he impressed the Raiders at rookie minicamp. He’s looked ready for the moment after starting 12 games at right tackle for Maryland in 2022 and 13 games at left tackle for the Terrapins last season.

“He’s just been steady Eddie,” Pierce said. “He’s been consistent in everything he’s done. His approach to the game, he’s taking it like a pro. He’s learning from some of those veterans that we have in front of him. Doesn’t say a lot, but he’s out here working each and every day. And he gives us his best foot forward each and every day. You see it. You see growth and improvement.”

Glaze, who turned 22 on Sunday, believed in himself entering camp. But he understood his confidence could only go so far.

He knew he needed to prove himself against NFL competition. The experiences he’s had so far battling against his teammates, both good and bad, have helped him progress even more.

“Once you get in there and you kind of get the reps underneath your belt, you just start seeing that at the end of the day, it’s going to make me better,” Glaze said. “I might lose, I may win, but I’m just going to wash away that rep and do what I’ve got to do to get better and work for the next rep.”

Learning all the time

Crosby, who finished fourth in the voting for defensive player of the year last season, has dominated each practice so far.

Glaze has been one of Crosby’s many victims, but the veteran has also taken the rookie under his wing to offer advice. Glaze is soaking it all in.

“Sometimes after like a rack of plays, Max will come find me and say, ‘You know what, this is what I saw. If you would stay square this much longer, I probably wouldn’t have nowhere to go,’” Glaze said. “And then same with me. I go up to him and say, ‘Hey, what did you see? What did you see here? What did you see there?”

The conversations have been an invaluable resource for Glaze as he looks to force his way onto the field for the Raiders. He’s trending in the right direction so far.

“Of course, the reps get you better too,” Glaze said. “But if you get that somebody who’s done it, somebody who’s one of the greats at it, come and tell you, ‘No, this is what you could do to get better,’ then that’s ultimately what’s going to help improve the craft.”

Contact Vincent Bonsignore at vbonsignore@reviewjournal.com. Follow @VinnyBonsignore on X