Rookie safety Treydan Stukes has been lauded for his intelligence and football IQ since the moment he was drafted by the Las Vegas Raiders in April.
It turns out he has a pretty good vocabulary, too.
Stukes casually dropped “emulsified” into a conversation at his locker before Wednesday’s practice as he discussed how the veterans have helped ease his transition into the league.
Their efforts have worked as Stukes has taken the guidance and combined it with his own intelligence and work ethic to quickly develop. The second-round pick is listed atop the depth chart as a starting safety for Sunday’s season-opening game against the Miami Dolphins at Allegiant Stadium.
“He plays with a lot of confidence and a lot of poise,” fellow starting safety Jeremy Chinn said. “He’s a sponge who just shows up every day and wants to learn and continue to get better. He works his butt off. You saw the way he was flying around during the preseason games. His tape speaks for itself, but it’s been good to see the way he works.”
Stukes is excited for whatever opportunity he gets to step on the field.
But he knows the work is just getting started.
While teammates and coaches have raved about Stukes since he arrived in the building, all he has earned for now is his name being listed first on a piece of paper.
“It’s a good feeling, for sure,” he said of all the praise he has received. “I understand they brought me here for a reason and I’m hoping to meet that standard and exceed it. Hopefully we can keep it running.”
The belief in Stukes started to grow almost immediately after he arrived in the building and started to intensify once the rookies were on the field for minicamp. He has impressed from the film sessions to the meeting rooms and the practice field.
Now he is the only one of 10 selections by the Raiders in this year’s draft to be listed as a Week 1 starter.
“I’ve seen his confidence grow every day,” coach Klint Kubiak said. “You see his football IQ show up every day. It will be his first game, so we’re really excited about him playing and putting his best foot forward. It’s going to be him and a lot of other young guys we’re counting on.”
The defensive backfield, especially the safeties, will likely involve some sort of rotation regardless of who is technically the starter.
Stukes is listed above Isaiah Pola-Mao, who will have a streak of 31 consecutive starts snapped if he is not in the lineup to start the game on Sunday.
But Pola-Mao will still have a role, even beyond what Stukes has described as an integral part of helping get him up to speed to hit the ground running in the NFL.
“We’re all working toward the same goals here and I’ve been able to learn so much from the guys in that room,” Stukes said. “So I’m just looking forward to chasing the team standard come Sunday.”
It’s all part of the developmental process for Stukes, who believes he is a far better player than he was in April.
“I’ve grown a good amount, I’d say,” Stukes said. “There was a lot to learn when I first got here and there’s still so much to learn to keep growing, but I can definitely see how much I’ve grown from when I first got here until now.
“I feel like I’ve grown the most in the mental aspect of pro football. It’s a lot different from what I used to do in college and just the understanding of what’s going on with alignments and assignments and those types of things. That’s where I’ve grown the most.”
He will get a chance to show that on Sunday, likely from the first defensive snap of the game.
It’s anybody’s guess what word he will use to describe his performance after the game.
Contact Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AdamHillLVRJ on X.
