Silver Minings: Jaylon Smith signs with Raiders after minicamp tryout

Linebacker is making his return to Raiders after a tryout at rookie mini-camp

The Las Vegas Raiders are wrapping up rookie mini-camp, where the team's newest rookies showcased their skills for the first time. While the camp is usually designated for the rookies, the Raiders also added a veteran for a tryout.

That player is linebacker Jaylon Smith, who did not play a down in 2024. He played with the Raiders briefly in 2023 with his connection to defensive coordinator Patric Graham. Smith's familiarity with the system must have shown itself on the field, as he was offered a contract after his performance during the rookie mini-camp.

A second-round pick in the 2016 draft, Smith has appeared in 88 career games with 69 starts for the Cowboys, Giants, Packers, and Raiders. He’s tallied 11.0 sacks, two interceptions, 21 passes defensed, six forced fumbles, and six fumble recoveries.

While Smith has not played recently, he adds depth to a linebacker room on the younger side of the spectrum. However, he isn’t guaranteed to be on the final roster come September.

In other Raiders News:

• Three observations from Raiders rookie minicamp: Las Vegas Review-Journal has the latest nuggets out of Raiders rookie minicamp.
• Skip Bayless goes after Tom Brady: Skip Bayless didn’t hold back when talking about Tom Brady after he spoke about Shedeur Sanders on a podcast.
• How the rule changes affect Daniel Carlson: Ray Asupria writes about the newest rule changes on special teams and their impact on Carlson and the special teams unit.