Weighing in at 335 pounds, Benito Jones is one of the heaviest players on the Las Vegas Raiders roster. And that’s a good thing.

The 6-foot-1 defensive tackle provides the requisite mass to both draw attention from multiple blockers and be a run-stuffing presence in the middle of the Silver & Black defensive line as a nose tackle. Brought onto the roster on May 13 after the team waived fellow nose tackle Brodric Martin, Jones brings valuable experience as a starting defensive tackle in the NFL — he spent time with both the Miami Dolphins and Tennessee Titans in his...

The Las Vegas drafted two wide receivers last season who got a chance to see the field in 2025. Fourth-round pick Donte Thornton Jr. got to see the field the most, but his lack of production led to him falling down the depth chart by the end of the season.

Thornton Jr. was always a project from Tennessee. While he had an impressive athletic profile, Thornton Jr.’s route-running skills were raw. However, this offseason, John Spytek added two more receivers to the mix, both of whom have the speed to win over the top. Jalen Nailor and Malik Benson could...

Let’s kick off this week’s Las Vegas Raiders mailbag with a big happy birthday to the United States of America and Al Davis! I hope everyone has a great day celebrating with their friends and family, but first, we have to answer some questions about the Raiders’ roster!

A: I’m very intrigued by what Tre Tucker is going to do this season. I know I’ve mentioned this a bunch of times, but I’m going to keep beating the drum by saying that he’s done an excellent job of getting better every year, and doing that while working with so many...

The great, late Al Davis was born 97 years ago today.

Happy birthday, legend, and Happy 4th of July to all.

There was only one defender that had more snaps for the Las Vegas Raiders defense than safety Isaiah Pola-Mao.

That was linebacker Devin White at 1,118 snaps in 2025 and that total accounts for nearly 100 percent (99.38 percent to be exact) of the team’s defensive snaps last season. Pola-Mao, in comparison, notched 1,081 snaps (96.09 percent), showcasing the iron men nature of the two Raider defenders.

Interestingly enough, White is no longer in Silver & Black. Despite pacing the team with 174 total tackles as a 17-game starter, the 28-year-old linebacker remains an unrestricted free agent after signing a...

The 2023 draft class, Dave Ziegler’s and Josh McDaniels first class with a full season of preparation, and the second class I was able to predict their first round pick (thankfully I stopped being able to do that after this season). The class features a few players still on the roster as is, and a few that should continue to be Raiders going forward, but also a few massive whiffs.

A fun idea I had was a re-draft, but not any re-draft that just picks the best player, I wanted to re-draft the Raiders for 2020 but use the same...

We’re on the defensive side of the ball in Silver and Black Pride’s AFC West position rankings, starting with arguably the most important spot when it comes to keeping points off the board: edge defender.

Despite finishing in last place over the last two seasons, this is one position group where the Las Vegas Raiders’ roster has an edge over the Denver Broncos’, Kansas City Chiefs’ and Los Angeles Chargers’ rosters as long as Maxx Crosby is in the fold. But the division has a handful of quality edges in it, like the Broncos’ Nik Bonitto, to challenge Crosby for...

The Las Vegas Raiders are to deploy one of the younger defenses in years. In 2024, they drafted players like Darien Porter and Tonka Hemingway. For the 2026 NFL draft, it became a focus as they added Treydan Stukes, Keyron Crawford, and Jermod McCoy. If the Raiders could hit on these picks, it could lead to a good defense in the future.

Out of the rookies last season, Darien Porter played the most snaps. He had his ups and downs during the season, but his potential shone especially when he played against the Denver Broncos. Porter now looks to be...

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Defensive tackle is one of the weakest position groups on the Las Vegas Raiders’ roster heading into the 2026 season, begging the question of whether the Raiders have a Top 5 interior defender in the AFC West. What gives Las Vegas hope is that the Denver Broncos’, Kansas City Chiefs’ and Los Angeles Chargers’ rosters aren’t exactly flush with talent at the position, either.

All stats referenced below are from the regular season unless otherwise noted.

1. Chris Jones, Chiefs

2025 Stats: 29 tackles, 12 TFLs, 7.0 sacks (17 games)

Jones has been the top defensive tackle in the...

The Raiders 2022 draft class could have been a lot better, but that also seems to be the running theme in general here. The Raiders shipped off their first and second round selections for Davante Adams, and then they shipped him off a few years late. The first class for “new” GM Dave Ziegler and head coach Josh McDaniels in hindsight, was not what it should have been.

A fun idea I had was a re-draft, but not any re-draft that just picks the best player, I wanted to re-draft the Raiders for 2020 but use the same positions at...

We’re at the halfway point of Silver and Black Pride’s Mendoza Mania series, breaking down the film on every game of Fernando Mendoza’s final College Football season at Indiana, diving into his eighth contest of the year with a matchup against UCLA.

This certainly wasn’t the No. 1 pick of the 2026 NFL draft’s best performance as a passer, completing 15 of 22 attempts (68.2 percent) for 168 yards and three touchdowns to one interception. However, it was far from a poor or even below-average outing, where the bad or negative throws were few and far between. Even the pick...