Roman Hemby arrived in Las Vegas with a built-in buzz, a familiar face from Fernando Mendoza’s Indiana run and one of the Raiders’ more intriguing undrafted additions. But once OTAs and mandatory minicamp were in the books, the early momentum everyone expected never really showed up.
That leaves training camp as the real proving ground.
The Raiders did not land Mendoza a former Indiana wideout in the 2026 NFL Draft, but they did bring in a cluster of his former teammates soon after. Hemby and wide receiver EJ Williams came aboard on the UDFA market, and Jonathan Brady, who was with Mendoza at both Cal and Indiana, followed after rookie minicamp. Of that group, Hemby was the one many fans circled first, especially with the chance to carve out a role in a backfield that doesn’t have much proven depth behind Ashton Jeanty.
Jeanty is the centerpiece, and Klint Kubiak has made that clear. Behind him, the options are Mike Washington Jr., Dylan Laube and Chris Collier, with Washington carrying a high ceiling and Laube drawing positive attention from the media and special teams coordinator Joe DeCamillis during non-padded work. Hemby, meanwhile, has been quieter than expected.
He has worked with the third-team offense, which is a sign he hasn’t climbed the ladder yet. Late-round rookies Malik Benson and Zeke Masses, along with fellow UDFA Cian Slone, were the ones getting chances against veterans in that young group. Hemby was not among them.
That doesn’t close the door on him. UDFAs are long shots by nature, and plenty of players look different once the pads come on. Training camp, joint practices and the preseason still give Hemby a real shot to change the conversation, especially with a fanbase that already seems to have taken to him.
For now, though, the projection is not encouraging.
In his 53-man roster prediction, The Athletic’s Sam Warren kept just four running backs: Jeanty, Washington, Laube and fullback Connor Heyward. That would leave Hemby on the outside, fighting for a practice squad spot or looking elsewhere.
“I don’t envision much drama in the backfield come cutdown day. Jeanty is the clear starter and slated for an even more elevated role in Year 2.
His backups from last year, Raheem Mostert and Zamir White, are gone, but Laube and Washington were the evident options to spell him during offseason practices. Hemby, an undrafted rookie, showed promise as Mendoza’s teammate at Indiana, but he has yet to challenge either running back as a Raider.”
So while the early offseason didn’t give Hemby much traction, the next stretch is where he can still rewrite the script. The Raiders have a way of making things interesting, and Hemby now has the chance to become one of those unexpected names who forces his way into the picture.
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