Mailbag: Which UDFAs have chance at 53-man roster?

The 2025 NFL Draft is finally in the books and … I’m tired.

But there’s no time for sleep as the Las Vegas Raiders added 11 draft picks to the roster! The Raiders have also been busy signing undrafted free agents, and we have this week’s mailbag to get to!

A: My initial reaction is to look at the linebackers since that’s a wide-open position group for the Raiders, so Indiana’s Jailin Walker has a chance at making the roster. Walker can run and has experience playing special teams to help boost his odds.

Kansas cornerback Mello Dotson also has shot, as many people thought Dotson was draftable, and Las Vegas could use defensive back help/depth. He ran a slow 40 (4.59), though, which could be a bigger issue at the next level.

If SMU defensive tackle Anthony Booker Jr. can prove himself at nose tackle, he could earn a roster spot, too. Booker has the size at 6-foot-4 and 348 pounds, but was primarily a 3-technique/B-gap defensive tackle during his college career.

Depending on whether Chip Kelly wants to have a fullback, keep an eye on Old Dominion tight end-convert Pat Conroy, too.

Q: What’s the Raiders’ rhyme reason or preferred process on how they target and sign undrafted free agents?

A: I think it starts with going after guys they had draftable grades on. The two that first come to mind from this year’s crop of UDFAs are Dotson and Minnesota defensive end Jah Joyner. There’s a reason why those were two of the first signings to get announced.

From there, an emphasis is placed on players who could potentially contribute on special teams, meaning guys who played on special teams in college, have speed and are good tacklers. Obviously, the latter is hard to judge with offensive players, so it will be more important for them to have special-teams tape to prove they can tackle.

Also, this is typically where fullbacks get picked up. Alec Ingold was a UDFA in 2019, and Conroy this year. Finally, filling out the depth chart for preseason and picking up offensive linemen who have size and traits helps round out the UDFA class.

Q: Why did Jack Bech leave LSU for TCU? NIL? Wanted to change position (from TE to WR)?

Photo by David Rosenblum/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

A: For clarity, Bech spent some time as a true freshman at tight end, but he was splitting time between both positions rather than being a tight end exclusively. Then, he became a full-time wide receiver during his sophomore season under Brian Kelly.

Bech was recruited by and played for Ed Orgeron as a freshman at LSU, so the coaching change played a factor in his decision to transfer to TCU or leave LSU. He wasn’t a great fit in Kelly’s offense because Kelly prefers faster receivers who can win deep more consistently, i.e. Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr., who both ran in the 4.3s last year. Bech also suffered some injuries as a sophomore and got buried on the depth chart behind Nabers, Thomas, Kayshon Boutte and Kyren Lacy.

So, it was a combination of not being a great scheme fit with the new coaching staff (who didn’t recruit him) and wanting to get a bigger opportunity somewhere else. That’s pretty common in the transfer portal era of college football.

Q: Do you think Bech has the speed and agility to be a quality WR2 in the NFL? Love the physicality. Reminds me a bit of Hines Ward.

A: Bech doesn’t have long speed and never will be a consistent deep threat, but he’s quick and a good route runner to make it as a WR2. That, plus his physicality and strong hands, gives him a good chance to be the second option in the passing game, as I think that’s likely his ceiling. I like the TCU product’s game and have a feeling he’ll be a solid pro.

Q: Do you think Tre Tucker is on notice with Dont’e Thornton in town? Tucker’s drops and body control drove me crazy. Thornton is basically as fast and is HUGE.

A: Tucker’s seat is definitely getting warm with the Tennessee product’s arrival. However, Thornton’s route running needs a lot of work as he’s behind the third-year pro in that department.

Tucker seems to be catching a lot of heat from the fanbase recently, but I’m optimistic about his outlook moving forward. He got a lot better last season, and I think the quarterback change will do him a lot of good.

According to Fantasy Points Data (h/t Joe Marino), Tucker had the fourth-lowest rate of catchable targets in 2024, and he still managed to record a respectable 539 receiving yards. The third year is typically when a lot of wide receivers start to put it all together, too, so don’t give up on him yet!

Q: Tell me if I’m crazy to be optimistic about the O this year. We’ve got Bowers/Jakobi/Bech (in that order) in the middle of the field and mid-distance routes. Thornton and Tucker as options to take the top off the D. And Jeanty as a constant threat in the run game underneath. Not saying we’re going to be top 5 or anything, but I can easily get myself to believing, if everyone is healthy, we end up a top 8-12 Offense. (and we’ll have to be with our LB/DB corps…)

A: LOL on the linebacker and defensive back corps, as that’s definitely true! I think the offense will certainly be better this year. Granted, it can’t get much worse…

Getting into the Top 10 might be a bit of a stretch since the Raiders’ offense has so many new pieces, including a brand new system with Kelly taking over. But breaking into the top half of the NFL is attainable. That may not seem like much, but Las Vegas ranked 27th and 29th in points per game last year, so I’ll take being above water!

A: Jeanty and Bech will be Day 1 starters for sure, and I’m assuming the start of training camp is “Day 1” and not the beginning of the regular season.

Darien Porter is one of the “projects”, but I can see him being a Week 1 starter. I can’t stress enough how much he reminds me of Riq Woolen, who needed technical development as a rookie but still started right away for Pete Carroll in Seattle.

It might sound crazy since he was a seventh-round pick, but don’t sleep on Cody Lindenberg. It’s an open competition at linebacker, and he’s a stout run defender who could surprise people this year. That’s not to say Lindenberg will be a first-stringer right away or even by the beginning of the regular season, but it wouldn’t surprise me if he gets a few starts in the second half of the campaign.

Outside of adding a nickelback, I don’t think there’s a pressing need to add any more veterans than the ones that are already on the roster. Vets like Elandon Roberts, Devin White and Alex Cappa were brought in to protect the young guys from being thrown into the fire too soon. For example, OurLads only has Jeanty and Bech listed as the only rookie starters right now, and all the other draft picks have at least one veteran in front of them if they aren’t ready to see the field yet.

A: With 11 draft picks, I’d be surprised if the entire draft class makes the 53-man roster. Tommy Mellott and Cam Miller are the first two who come to mind as cut candidates since both are making the jump from FCS to the NFL, and Mellott is switching from quarterback to wide receiver. Granted, it does help that he played some wideout in college.

I know I just said Lindenberg could make a few starts this year, but any seventh-round pick is going to be on the chopping block since the organization doesn’t have much invested in them. There’s a wide range of outcomes for the Minnesota product this summer.

Unless they completely flame out and/or are a locker room issue, any draft pick that gets cut will likely be offered a practice squad spot. Whether or not they get claimed off waivers by another team or choose to sign elsewhere would be a question, but the offer will likely be there for any draftee who gets cut at the end of training camp.

A: Laki Tasi started playing football in 2024, and International Pathway Program players don’t count toward the practice squad limit, but they do count toward the 53-man roster limit if they’re on it.

Unless he’s going to see the field this season, and that would be a ridiculous expectation, there’s no point in wasting a roster spot when the Raiders get an extra practice squad spot for him. Plus, Tasi can be called up at any time if his development is ahead of schedule.

Q: Matt, if he is healthy & ready to play, do you think the Raiders should sign Brandon Scherff? Next to JPJ, they could be really solid. Let Caleb Rogers, Dylan Parham and Alex Cappa battle it out for the other starting guard & the rest are good depth.

A: Maybe I’m naive, but I’d rather see what Jordan Meredith can do in a full season as a starter. Meredith played well in his eight games last year, so I think he deserves to be at least considered to start this season.

Scherff wouldn’t be a bad addition at this stage in the game, but he’s 33 and isn’t the same player he once was. To me, giving the opportunity for Meredith and Parham to prove themselves, especially since both are entering contract years, and using Cappa as the veteran insurance policy, is the route to go.

If the Raiders are going to add a veteran at this point, I’d prefer to see them target the other side of the ball and sign someone like Mike Hilton to play nickel.

A: Hilton is my top choice and by a wide margin. I’m kind of surprised he hasn’t landed anywhere yet since he’s been a quality nickel for several years. Granted, the former Bengal is 31 years old and turns 32 in January.

Kendall Fuller also has experience covering the slot, though it’s been a while since he’s taken a significant amount of snaps in that role. Also, he’s battled injuries throughout his career and is getting up there in age at 30.

One more interesting name to keep tabs on is Myles Bryant. While Bryant’s career hasn’t been great and he only took about 150 snaps last season, he’s just 27 years old and has recorded over 1,500 snaps at nickel, per Pro Football Focus. Given the Raiders’ need and the fact that Bryant would get a cheap contract at this stage in the offseason, it might be worth it to at least bring him in for training camp.

A: The Athletic’s Tashan Reed recently provided an update on Christian Wilkins.

Wilkins’ recovery from surgery to repair a Jones fracture has taken longer than the Raiders would’ve hoped, but the expectation is for him to be fully healthy by training camp, according to team sources. As long as that happens, he’ll form a nice duo with [Adam] Butler.

That’ll do it for this week’s mailbag. Thank you all for submitting questions and, as your weekly reminder, if you’d like to have your questions answered in a future column, tweet them at me, @MHolder95, email them to [email protected] or look for our weekly call for questions on the site. The latter will continue to publish on Thursdays. Sign up and go to the comments section.