When you read the names of Las Vegas Raiders free agent signings, Dareke Young likely isn’t the one that stands out.
The former 7th rounder from Lenoir-Rhyne. Young, just 26 years old and 6’3, 215-pounds will turn 27 in July, and he’s poised for a potential headline season for Las Vegas in 2026. He’s hauled in just 5 receptions for 83 yards in his career on 7 targets, but has also added 38 yards after the catch through his time, while having an average depth of target at 14.8 yards, and going 2/2 on his contested catches. Young isn’t going to be highly relied upon as a receiver, despite his athletic presence, but he certainly could see a route to more targets in Las Vegas with Klint Kubiak. Speaking on athleticism, Young recorded a 4.44 40, 1.54 10-split, 4.19 shuttle, 6.88 3-Cone, 11-03 Broad, 37 vert, and a 9.93 overall RAS score which ranked inside the top 30 all-time for wide receivers. Though he’s been limited in his career snaps on offense, Young did an exceptional job as a run blocker on the boundary, and that should help him get more looks on offense for Las Vegas.
Young’s biggest impact through his career has been on special teams where he’s logged 771 snaps over his career, split between kick return, kick coverage, and punt return/coverage. Young has logged a career 24 tackles, a forced fumble, and was 11th in EPA for gunners during the 2025 season. He’s also notably only missed 6 tackles through his time on special teams, with 25 players alone in 2026 missing 6 or more tackles on special teams. Additionally, Young saw time in 2025 as a kick returner with 10 attempts for 322 yards and a long of 60 yards while forcing 5 missed tackles as well. Young recorded a career 9 kick returns for 180 yards during his time at Lenoir-Rhyne, and the ability for him to make an impact at the NFL level will be crucial. For Las Vegas, Young’s immediate impact will be on special teams and he’ll need to get his way onto the field as a receiver. He’s shown excellent ability to make plays as a kick returner, utilizing his athleticism and vision, while also being a capable gunner. The Raiders will keep Young on their roster through the season, and there’s a path that with more targets he could see time as a depth receiver similar to that of Mack Hollins when signed by the Raiders.
