Even after making 10 selections during the 2026 NFL draft, general manager John Spytek was busy adding 17 undrafted free agents to the roster. Of course, the Raiders are a long way away from having to settle in on a 53-man roster, but let’s take an early look at a few UDFAs who have a good chance to make the cut, considering who is in front of them on the depth chart.
WR E.J. Williams
Wide receiver is one of the biggest remaining holes on Las Vegas’ roster after the draft. Many expected the club to prioritize the position,
but Spytek didn’t add a wideout until the sixth round (Malik Benson). That gives any receiver on the roster a fighter’s chance to make the team during training camp, especially a UDFA who caught passes from Fernando Mendoza last season. Williams managed to haul in 36 receptions for 438 yards and six touchdowns last season, and the 6-foot-3, 205-pound receiver has the frame to fill the void at ‘X’ potentially.
WR Chase Roberts
Along the same lines, Roberts stands at 6-foot-3 and 209 pounds. He doesn’t have the immediate chemistry with Mendoza, but the BYU product is the better prospect and was more productive than Williams, giving him a leg up if the competition is between the two of them. Roberts had 54 grabs, 802 yards and six touchdowns for the Cougars last season.
RB Roman Hemby
Another former Hoosier who could find a home in Las Vegas. Hemby toted the rock 230 times and racked up 1,118 rushing yards and seven rushing touchdowns to be the National Champions’ leading rusher, ahead of San Francisco 49ers’ third-round pick Kaelon Black. Meanwhile, the Raiders have their first two backs in the fold with Ashton Jeanty and fourth-round pick Mike Washington Jr., but the third spot is very much up for grabs.
Hemby will have to beat out Dylan Laube and Chris Collier, and special teams could be the deciding factor, especially since Laube can contribute as a returner. The Indiana product doesn’t have much return experience, but he did return 16 kickoffs in college, including nine last season.
DT Gary Smith III
Defensively, one of the biggest surprises from the Raiders’ draft was that they didn’t prioritize adding a nose tackle, as Spytek didn’t take a defensive tackle until his last pick of the draft (Brandon Cleveland). That’s good news for Smith, who ranked fourth among Big Ten defensive tackles with an 82.3 run defense grade from Pro Football Focus last season. The 6-foot-1, 323-pound d-lineman also finished third with 24 “defensive stops” against the run in 2025.
K Kansei Matsuzawa
The front office moved on from Daniel Carlson this offseason, replacing Carlson with Matt Gay during free agency. However, Gay made just 73.9 percent of his field goal attempts last season and was in the low 80s during the 2024 and 2023 campaigns. That leaves the door open for Matsuzawa, who hit 93.1 percent of his field goals this past fall. Plus, an elite nickname like ‘The Tokoyo Toe’ has to count for something, right?
