Rookies Cody Lindenberg, Darien Porter have special teams prowess to stick in Las Vegas
Pete Carroll’s Las Vegas Raiders are set to embark on all-important training camp at the tail end of this week and next. The rookies report first on July 17 with veterans joining their neophyte teammates on July 22.
The Silver & Black’s veteran head coach has preached open competition and earning roster spots since he was hired way back in January. So much so, the proper tagline for Carroll’s Raiders is: Com-Pete.
With NFL rosters bloated at 90, the staggering change to the 53-man roster come cutdown day is going to leave swaths of players on the waiver wire and free agent market — effectively ending the dream for many.
But as I’ve said before — and how the NFL has proven so — the easiest way to punch a roster ticket is to become a special teams standout. Raiders hopefuls don’t have to look very far for inspiration as safety Isaiah Pola-Mao followed this exact blueprint of shining on special teams and grinding to get starting snaps. There’s also former New England Patriots wide receivers Julian Edelman (special teamer to starter) and Matthew Slater (core special teamer for 16 seasons), and former Los Angeles Rams/Las Vegas Raiders linebacker Corey Littleton (special teamer to starter).
Thus, let’s take a look at five Raiders who can ensure they’re on the 53-man roster by making an impression on special teams boss Tom McMahon, the rest of the coaching staff, and general manager John Spytek.
Taken with the 222nd overall pick in the seventh round of the 2025 NFL Draft, this 6-foot-2 and 236-pound defender from Minnesota has the size and football IQ to make a run at earning one of the linebacker spots.
This Golden Gophers intelligence and instincts allow him to be patient, read and react, and flow to plays. And Lindenberg is a fundamentally sound tackler — a trait that’s golden for special teams work.
Las Vegas did waive Amari Burney (a linebacker who 2023 sixth-round pick who had 384 snaps on McMahon’s units in 2024) and those are snaps Lindenberg should gun for as a late-round rookie. A core special teams role is there for the taking.
Talk about a prototypical Carroll cornerback. This Iowa State product boasts a 6-foot-3, 195-pound frame with 33 1/8-inch arms and 4.3-flat (40-yard dash time) speed to boot. It’s no wonder the Raiders made Darien Porter the 68th overall pick (third round) in the 2025 draft.
That elite combination of size, speed, and length afforded Porter the ability to become a special teams maven in college as he racked up an ungodly five blocked kicks in his career at Iowa State.
He only had one full season as a starting cornerback for the Cyclones so while development and refinement is needed to become a defensive back in the Raiders’ defense, he arrives readymade to become an elite...