The Raiders spent real money on their 2025 undrafted free agents last spring, but for the most part, that investment never turned into anything lasting. Pete Carroll leaned on older players he already knew, and that approach left the rookie class with little room to grow into meaningful roles.
That trickled down to the undrafted group, where John Spytek and the Raiders took a swing on a handful of young players they hoped could become finds. Instead, most of the highest-paid UDFAs from that class are already gone from Las Vegas, out of the NFL, or no longer even playing professional football. Only one of the bigger bets still looks like a real win.
Mello Dotson was the priciest of the bunch at $220,000. The Raiders viewed him as a draftable player, which made landing him in the undrafted market feel like a coup.
With a shaky secondary, he had a clear path to a roster spot and playing time. None of that stuck.
He was cut before training camp, never caught on elsewhere in the NFL, and is now in the UFL.
Jah Joyner came next at $150,000. He entered the process with momentum after a strong Senior Bowl, and plenty of people expected him to be one of the undrafted players who could make the team.
But he never separated himself enough in camp or the preseason, missed the initial roster, and didn’t even end up back on the practice squad. He’s now also playing in the UFL.
Tank Booker cost the Raiders $115,000, but his time in the building never really gained traction. He didn’t make much noise over the spring or summer, and after the three preseason games, Las Vegas waived him without much ceremony. He never landed on the practice squad and is not on a professional football roster right now.
Jarrod Hufford got $110,000 in guarantees, and while he was always a long shot for the 53-man roster, the expectation was that he might at least stick on the practice squad. Even after a solid preseason, that didn’t happen.
He’s now with the St. Louis Battlehawks in the UFL.
Carter Runyon is the one exception. He showed enough in the preseason to get through waivers, joined the practice squad, and eventually climbed to the active roster.
He’s still with the Raiders and has a shot to be the team’s third tight end in 2026 if he puts together a strong training camp. For Las Vegas, that’s the rare case where the money actually paid off.
A few other undrafted names from that class are still hanging around in some form. John Humphrey, who got $97,000, is not on a professional football roster.
Parker Clements, who received $75,000, is in the UFL. Treven Ma'ae, who got $80,000, and Greedy Vance, who got $65,000, are both still with the Raiders.
Jahfari Harvey and Laki Tasi are also still around, though neither had any guarantees.
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Raiders Could Be Eyeing A Shocking Veteran Trade Next
The Raiders offseason has already been busy, with free-agent additions, some familiar faces brought back and a quarterback room that suddenly looks very different after the club used the No. 1 pick on Fernando Mendoza and added Kirk Cousins on a long-term deal meant to bridge the gap. Even with that kind of investment at the games most important position, the roster still feels like it has more moving parts than most teams this time of year, especially with Las Vegas trying to balance short-term competitiveness against a longer reset.
Eric Stokes is one of the names that fits that uneasy middle ground. He was re-signed this spring, but the Raiders also have a crowded group of young defensive backs, which makes him the kind of player that can draw interest if the front office decides to keep reshaping the roster. Cousins brings a different kind of intrigue, since his contract structure leaves room for the Raiders to pivot if Mendoza gets up to speed quickly, and that possibility alone keeps the quarterback situation from feeling settled just yet. [Read more 🡒]
5 Quiet Raiders Additions Could Matter More Than Fans Think
The Raiders did not make a splashy headline-grabbing run through the offseason, but a few of their quieter additions could end up mattering just as much once camp opens. Benito Jones, Spencer Burford and Thomas Booker IV all bring different kinds of value, from veteran steadiness to interior line competition, while draft pick Hezekiah Masses and undrafted free agent Cian Slone give the roster a little more depth and a few more paths to usefulness.
Burford is the name to watch on the offensive line because there is a real opening for him to push into a bigger role, and Booker already looks like the kind of player who can help a defense without much fanfare. Masses gives Las Vegas another young defensive back to develop, and Slone is the sort of camp body who can turn into something more if he makes enough noise in the summer. None of those moves changed the leagues view of the Raiders overnight, but together they may end up looking a lot smarter than they did on the day they were announced. [Read more 🡒]