Las Vegas Raiders GM pleasantly surprised with controversial draft pick

The Las Vegas Raiders' most scrutinized offseason acquisition was 2024 draft pick and offensive tackle DJ Glaze. General manager Tom Telesco selected Glaze in the third round of April's draft, and the consensus was that the Raiders reached for a player who would've been available in the later rounds.

Despite much criticism, Glaze has been much better than expected in training camp thus far. The 21-year-old received a few first-team reps at right tackle when starter Thayer Munford Jr. left practice with a hand injury earlier this week and received positive reviews .

Telesco spoke about the rookie's performance with the first-team offense during his appearance on the " JT the Brick Show" and he seemed quite pleased with his third-round selection.

"It was cool to see on Tuesday, our first day in pads, everyone was a little bit anxious, especially a rookie that’s 21 years old. And in the first period, Thayer Munford had a small little injury where he couldn’t get back in there, and all of a sudden DJ is in the huddle, first snap of training camp in full pads and he’s got Maxx Crosby right over him, and he held his own."

In the interview, Telesco also spoke about Glaze's maturity level, stating that the rookie doesn't panic when times get tough. The first-year Raiders general manager also stated that Glaze is "farther along than I anticipated right now."

Though he'll likely start the season as a backup, Glaze's promising training camp showing so far should inspire confidence that the Maryland product can develop into a starter down the road.