Las Vegas Raiders tight end Darren Waller (83) is shown during training camp at the Las Vegas Raiders Headquarters/Intermountain Healthcare Performance Center in Henderson, Thursday, July 21, 2022.
Wednesday, Aug. 17, 2022 | 2:24 p.m.
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The Raiders’ physically unable to perform list is now empty, and the overall injury ledger is thinning out too.
Defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins, defensive tackle Bilal Nichols and cornerback Trayvon Mullen all practiced for the first time of training camp Wednesday at the team’s Henderson headquarters. All three players had been previously inactive while working their way back from injury but returned a week before the deadline that would have forced them to miss time in the regular season.
And they weren’t the only, or even most notable, Raiders who returned as the team started preparations for Saturday’s third preseason game at the Miami Dolphins. Tight end Darren Waller, cornerback Rock Ya-Sin and linebacker Divine Deablo all came back after missing more than a week.
Waller was out with what ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported as a hamstring injury. Ya-Sin’s and Deablo’s issues were undisclosed. Deablo played in the Raiders’ first preseason game against the Jaguars, but none of the aforementioned teammates have appeared in a game yet.
All six players are expected starters when the regular season begins on Sept. 11 at the Los Angeles Chargers.
“Just to see them back is a great thing,” wide receiver Tyron Johnson said. “We’re trying to get rolling, trying to win games and those are some of our key players.”
Las Vegas might be closer to full strength now than it’s been at any point of training camp, but there were still a few lingering absences at Wednesday’s practice. Running back Josh Jacobs, cornerback Anthony Averett and right tackle Brandon Parker have all been out for more than a week.
The NFL doesn’t mandate injury reports until the regular season, and Raiders coach Josh McDaniels has shown no willingness to share any information until it’s required. Asked Monday specifically about Hankins, Mullen and Nichols, McDaniels said he didn’t “want to put a timeframe” on their return.
But they were all back two days later and participating fully.
“Having everyone, as many bodies as we can out there is always a great thing,” defensive end Tashan Bower said. “I think those guys are trying to get back at whatever pace they may need to and we’re obviously supporting it and doing whatever we can to support them.”
The Raiders' defensive line struggled at times in a win over the Vikings on Sunday without Hankins and Nichols. The unit looked much more formidable in Wednesday's practice, mostly getting the best of the offensive line in head-to-head drills.
Waller had a couple catches when the offense lined up against the defense. His lack of attendance at practice specifically caused a lot of nerves and speculation from Raiders' fans, who can now breathe a sigh of relief.
Las Vegas is getting healthier as the season nears.
Case Keefer can be reached at 702-948-2790 or [email protected]. Follow Case on Twitter at twitter.com/casekeefer.Case Keefer can be reached at 702-948-2790 or
