LAS VEGAS — The Raiders’ preseason finale against the 49ers on Thursday represents one final opportunity to answer some questions that have followed them throughout training camp.

Some involve starting jobs that remain unsettled. Others concern young players who could be pressed into significant roles sooner than expected.

And for a handful of Raiders, this is the last chance to make an impression before the roster is reduced to 53 players.

Here are five things to watch:

Is Mike Washington ready if Ashton Jeanty isn’t?

The Raiders appear to have avoided the worst with Ashton Jeanty’s ankle injury, but there is still uncertainty surrounding his availability for the beginning of the season.

That pushes rookie Mike Washington Jr. into a much brighter spotlight.

The fourth-round pick has been one of the Raiders’ most impressive offensive players this preseason, displaying the vision, burst and big-play ability that made him an intriguing addition to the backfield. He is averaging 7.9 yards per carry through two preseason games and has already produced two runs of more than 30 yards.

Now the Raiders need to determine whether Washington can do more than provide occasional explosiveness.

Can he handle a larger workload? Can he protect the quarterback? Can he be trusted in the passing game? Can he carry out all the details required of a starting NFL running back?

Jeanty remains the centerpiece of the Raiders’ running game, but Washington could be asked to fill that role until he returns. Thursday will provide the clearest indication yet that he is ready for it.

Can Fernando Mendoza close gap?

If Fernando Mendoza is going to make one final push to overtake Kirk Cousins as the Raiders’ season-opening quarterback, this is his opportunity.

Klint Kubiak has repeatedly declined to name a starter, insisting that no player should become comfortable in his position. That has kept the door open for Mendoza, even if Cousins remains the most likely choice to begin the season.

Mendoza has shown flashes of why the Raiders selected him first overall. He threw a touchdown pass in his preseason debut against Arizona and demonstrated an ability to move through his progressions and command the offense.

His first start against Houston was less encouraging. Mendoza was 8-of-15 passing for 86 yards and had an interception that was returned 80 yards for a touchdown. The pick six was a painful-but-predictable part of the learning process for a rookie quarterback.

Thursday gives Mendoza one more chance to show how quickly he can absorb that lesson.

The Raiders have been clear that they do not want to rush him. But if Mendoza can play efficiently, protect the football and consistently move the offense against the 49ers, he can at least make Kubiak’s decision more difficult.

He might not be able to win the job in one night. He can, however, close the gap.

Who will claim the right guard job?

Jackson Powers-Johnson and Caleb Rogers are expected to play, giving the Raiders one final side-by-side comparison in a competition that has remained unsettled throughout camp.

Powers-Johnson might possess the greater upside, but his availability has become an unavoidable part of the evaluation. Injuries have interrupted each of his first two seasons, and another physical issue recently forced him out of practice and kept him from playing against Houston.

At some point, dependability has to factor into the equation.

That is why it behooves the Raiders to prepare Rogers as if he will be the starter, regardless of who ultimately wins the job. Even if Powers-Johnson opens the season at right guard, recent history suggests Rogers could be called upon at any time.

Rogers has already gained valuable starting experience and has spent training camp rotating with the first-team offense. A strong performance against San Francisco could allow him to claim the position outright.

At the least, the Raiders need to leave the preseason confident that they have two guards prepared to start rather than one starter and an emergency replacement.

Which wide receivers can Klint Kubiak trust?

The Raiders do not merely need receivers who can catch the football. They need receivers who can consistently create separation and be trusted to execute every detail of Kubiak’s offense.

That means lining up correctly, recognizing coverages, adjusting routes, blocking in the running game and being exactly where the quarterback expects them to be.

The group has not consistently provided enough separation during training camp and the preseason, particularly when matched against Houston’s starting defensive backs during their joint practice.

Kubiak has made it clear that the receivers need to step forward. Thursday is their final opportunity to show which ones are prepared to do it.

The evaluation will go beyond the box score. A receiver might not be targeted but can still earn Kubiak’s confidence by carrying out his assignment, creating space for a teammate or making a critical block.

Conversely, a few catches will not erase missed assignments or poorly run routes.

The Raiders need to identify the receivers they can count on when the offense is no longer operating under preseason conditions. Someone has to emerge.

One more look at young secondary

The Raiders invested heavily in rebuilding their secondary, and Thursday offers one more extended look at rookies Jermod McCoy, Treydan Stukes and Hezekiah Masses.

All three have been exposed to significant work during training camp, including snaps with the first-team defense. That experience has produced encouraging moments as well as the inevitable growing pains that come with relying on young defensive backs.

Stukes has pushed for a starting role at safety. McCoy and Masses are competing in a cornerback group that needs young players to develop quickly.

The Raiders will watch more than completions and pass breakups. They will evaluate communication, positioning, tackling and how the rookies respond when an opponent attacks them after a mistake.

Young defensive backs are going to give up plays. What matters is whether they understand why they happened and make the necessary correction the next time.

Thursday is not the final judgment on any of them. It is simply the last preseason measurement of how close they are to being trusted when the games begin to count.

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