Las Vegas Raiders DVOA, Stats, & NFL Rankings

The Las Vegas Raiders signed free-agent wideout Collin Johnson on Thursday, according to NFL.com. The former Texas Longhorn was originally a fifth-round pick by the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2020. However, he spent just one year with the team before a two-year stint with the New York Giants and two seasons with the Chicago Bears. Overall, Johnson has hauled in 31 passes for 394 yards and two touchdowns in 38 career games. After the Raiders selected Jack Bech in Round 2 and Dont'e Thornton Jr. in Round 4 of the 2025 NFL Draft, it would be a surprise if Johnson makes the active roster and is on the fantasy football radar next season.

Las Vegas Raiders second-round rookie wide receiver Jack Bech is a strong candidate to be an immediate starter in his first NFL season, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal's Vincent Bonsignore. The TCU product was taken with the 58th overall pick on Day 2 and should line up next to Jakobi Meyers and Tre Tucker in starting three-wide sets. Rookie fourth-rounder Dont'e Thornton Jr. out of Tennessee could also push Tucker for playing time as a deep threat in 2025. Like Meyers and Tucker, Bech can play inside and outside and will likely be used in different spots on the field. The 23-year-old will probably be behind tight Brock Bowers and Meyers in terms of targets in his rookie year, but he'll be working with an established veteran quarterback in Geno Smith and could be worth a late-round dart throw in deep redraft leagues. Bech will be a solid target in rookie-only drafts once the top names at receiver come off the board.

Las Vegas Raiders running back Zamir White will be competing for a roster spot in training camp this summer after the team selected former Boise State RB Ashton Jeanty with the sixth overall pick in this year's NFL draft. The Athletic's Tashan Reed has White listed as the current No. 4 behind Jeanty, Raheem Mostert and Sincere McCormick. The Raiders are unlikely to hand the ball to Jeanty almost 27 times per game like Boise State did in 2024, but he will still be the unquestioned workhorse back in Vegas in his rookie season. The veteran and oft-injured Mostert has become strictly a third-down back at this point in his career. The 25-year-old White had a very disappointing season in 2024 as the team's primary back to open the season, averaging just 2.8 yards per carry. Unless Jeanty misses time with an injury in his first NFL season, White will be off the fantasy radar.

The Las Vegas Raiders announced on Thursday that they signed free-agent tight end Qadir Ismail to an undisclosed deal. For the time being, Ismail will give the Raiders depth at the tight end position behind starter Brock Bowers, Michael Mayer, Ian Thomas and Justin Shorter. The 28-year-old was with the Baltimore Ravens' practice squad last year but never got into an NFL game and has yet to catch a pass in the league after going undrafted out of Samford after 2023. He played six seasons in college with Villanova and Samford and had 13 catches for 135 yards in 11 games with Samford in his senior season in 2023. After suffering an undisclosed injury late last year, the Ravens released him from their practice squad. Ismail will be battling long odds to make the Raiders' 53-man roster out of training camp this summer.

The Las Vegas Raiders signed quarterback Geno Smith to a two-year, $75 million contract extension this offseason, but it's extremely team-friendly, and The Athletic's Vic Tafur thinks bringing in a young QB in this year's NFL draft to learn behind Smith makes sense. Tafur also thinks the Raiders might trade backup Aidan O'Connell on draft weekend. The Raiders have a clear out with Smith after 2026, as they guaranteed only $18.5 of his $26.5 million 2026 salary, and none of the $39.5 million he's due to make in 2027. Minority owner Tom Brady likes the idea of rookie QBs sitting and learning, and the Raiders will have some interesting options later in the draft in what is considered a down year for QBs. Tafur doesn't think it makes much sense to take Colorado's Shedeur Sanders at No. 6 overall, and a good number of QBs could be off the board by the team's second pick at No. 37 overall.