The Raiders have spent this offseason trying to balance two timelines at once. On one hand, Las Vegas is building for the future under John Spytek and Klint Kubiak.
On the other, the front office has made sure there are veterans around to steady the young core and help the team grow the right way. That approach makes sense.
What has not gone unnoticed, though, is how thin the defensive tackle room still looks.
Adam Butler is the only proven veteran on the interior who is guaranteed a spot on the 53 after Benito Jones was cut, while late addition Foley Fatukasi may still work his way onto the roster. That’s why a rumored trade candidate like Chicago Bears defensive tackle Gervon Dexter should have the Raiders paying close attention.
Dexter checks a lot of boxes for a team in Las Vegas’ position. The most obvious one is production.
He has posted 13.5 sacks across three seasons, including 6.0 last year, and has done it with the kind of size and length that make interior quarterbacks uncomfortable. He also brings real closing speed.
He’s still developing against the run, but last season he added 20 run stops and 6 tackles for loss. For a player who has missed just two games in three years and logs roughly two-thirds of Chicago’s snaps, that’s a sturdy profile.
Age is another part of the appeal. Dexter is 24 right now and turns 25 in early October, which means he fits squarely into the Raiders’ broader plan.
He’s young enough to grow with the roster, but established enough to help right away. Las Vegas has already added several players in that age range this offseason, looking for contributors who can show the younger players how to handle themselves while also being part of the solution now and later.
Dexter also comes without any known behavioral or legal issues, which only strengthens the fit.
There’s also a built-in comfort level on the coaching staff. Raiders defensive line coach Travis Smith was with the Bears when Dexter was drafted and stayed in that role through Dexter’s first two NFL seasons.
That matters. Smith saw him enter the league as a second-round pick and watched him make a big Year 2 jump.
Andrew Janocko can add another layer of familiarity, too, since he was Chicago’s QB coach in 2023. Prior relationships can go either way, but in this case the connections point toward a smoother transition.
The cost is part of what makes the idea even more attractive. At the absolute top end, Dexter would cost a third-round pick.
More likely, it would take two Day 3 selections. For a player with a chance to become a long-term starter, that is not a steep price.
And because he is in the final year of his rookie deal, the Raiders would not have to rush into a new contract. If he thrives, they can pay him.
If not, he can still serve as a cheaper short-term answer.
There’s one more trait that makes Dexter especially appealing: versatility. He is mainly a 3-technique defensive tackle, but last season he also logged 42 snaps at nose tackle, 92 snaps at 4i or 4-technique, and even a few snaps outside the offensive tackle.
That kind of flexibility would be a gift for defensive coordinator Rob Leonard. Kubiak and his staff value players who can do more than one job, and Dexter’s ability to move around the front would fit neatly into what Las Vegas wants defensively.
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Raiders Preseason Finale Raised Real Week 1 Questions
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There were encouraging flashes elsewhere, especially from rookie running back Mike Washington Jr., who picked up 49 yards on eight carries before leaving early, but the night also brought a setback on defense when rookie end Keyron Crawford went down with an ankle injury and did not return. For a team still sorting out depth and roles, the final tune-up left more questions than answers about how ready the roster is for Week 1. [Read more 🡒]