While the Las Vegas Raiders settled in on their initial 53-man roster this week, there are a couple of glaring holes at wide receiver and defensive tackle heading into the season. Of course, players on the current roster can step up and fill them. But until then, those positions look like the two biggest needs the Raiders will have heading into the offseason and the 2027 NFL draft.
With a gap between the end of training camp/the preseason and Week 1 in the NFL, College Football gets to take center
stage this weekend. So, now is a great time to get an early jump on a few draft prospects at receiver and defensive tackle who Raider Nation will want to keep tabs on this fall.
Wide Receivers
Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State
2025 Stats: 87 catches, 1,243 yards, 12 TDs
To be honest, if you don’t know who Jeremiah Smith is by now, you’re probably living under a rock. He’s been the best wide receiver in the country since he was an 18-year-old freshman two years ago. The 6-foot-3, 223-pound wideout has already drawn comparisons to Julio Jones with his size, speed and route-running combination.
Cam Coleman, Texas
2025 Stats: 56 catches, 708 yards, 5 TDs
While the Auburn transfer doesn’t have eye-catching production so far in his career, that says more about the quarterback play he was working with than his skill set. However, that changes with Arch Manning slinging Coleman the rock this season. At 6-foot-3 and 197 pounds, he also has good size and can win down the field. If Smith is Julio Jones, then Coleman is A.J. Green, who ended up being the first receiver taken in the 2011 draft.
Nick Marsh, Indiana
2025 Stats: 59 catches, 662 yards, 6 TDs
Despite both playing for Indiana, Marsh doesn’t have any connection to Fernando Mendoza after spending the first two years of his college career at Michigan State. But the former Spartan/current Hoosier is the type of receiver Mendoza and the Raiders need.
“Marsh is a big (6’3″, 213 lbs), smooth and physical wide receiver, who can occupy the X-receiver role,” Bleacher Report’s Damian Parson said. “The 19-year-old target has the ability and potential to develop into a long-term WR1.”
Ryan Coleman-Williams, Alabama
2025 Stats: 49 catches, 689 yards, 4 TDs
Coleman-Williams was a freshman sensation two years ago but was plagued by drops last season, letting 10 passes slip through his hands. That was the third-most among FBS wideouts according to Pro Football Focus. But if the former 5-star recruit can fix that problem, he’d be a good fit in Klint Kubiak’s offense with his versatility to win from the slot or out wide and make plays after the catch.
Bryant Wesco Jr., Clemson
2025 Stats: 31 catches, 537 yards, 6 TDs
Last season, Wesco was on the verge of having a breakout campaign, averaging 76.7 yards per game through seven contests before a scary back/neck injury prematurely sidelined him. The 6-foot-2, 195-pound pass catcher is fully healthy now and has the speed to be a legitimate vertical threat at the next level.
Charlie Becker, Indiana
2025 Stats: 34 catches, 679 yards, 4 TDs
If you watched Mendoza down the stretch of Indiana’s National Championship run last year, then you certainly got a glimpse of what Becker can bring to the table. The former roommates had great chemistry together and connected on several deep passes, as the wideout led the Big 10 with 20.0 yards per catch. Becker didn’t start until Week 9 last year, making it even more interesting to see what he can do with a bigger workload in 2026.
Defensive Tackles
Will Echoles, Ole Miss
2025 Stats: 68 tackles, 5 sacks, 11.5 TFLs
Echoles heads into the campaign as the top defensive tackle in the class for what he brings as a run defender. The 6-foot-3, 315-pounder has the size, strength and athleticism to defeat any type of block and be a constant presence in the offense’s backfield. He’s still putting it all together to be a more consistent pass-rusher, but five sacks and 39 pressures, per PFF, last season is good production to build on. Echoles also had six batted passes a year ago to impact the passing game beyond getting to the quarterback.
David Stone, Oklahoma
2025 Stats: 42 tackles, 1.5 sacks, 8 TFLs
With only two career starts heading into this season, Stone is more of a projection at this stage. However, he did play over 450 snaps last year and proved to be a very impressive run defender while showing some intriguing athletic traits. The Oklahoma native’s recruiting profile states he has nearly 35-inch arms, per 247Sports’ Andrew Ivins, and he moves well to grow as a pass-rusher down the line.
A’Mauri Washington, Oregon
2025 Stats: 33 tackles, 1.5 sacks, 4.5 TFLs
Washington likely would have been a second-round pick—maybe even a late first-rounder—had he declared for the draft last season. Instead, the Oregon product returned to school, where he’ll look to turn athletic potential into pass-rush production this fall. Regardless, the 6-foot-3, 325-pounder is a force in the running game with the combination of strength at the point of attack and agility to effectively take away two gaps.
Ahmad Moten, Miami
2025 Stats: 31 tackles, 4.5 sacks, 9 TFLs
With a quick first step, Moten is a gap-shooter who can consistently get penetration in both phases of the game. He’s different than the other defensive tackles listed here as more of a disruptor than someone who can hold his gap consistently against the run. Also, the Hurricane is the most polished pass-rusher of the bunch, right now.
Justin Scott, Miami
2025 Stats: 26 tackles, 1 sack, 6.5 TFLs
Miami’s defensive tackle tandem complements each other well, where Scott is a stout run defender with plenty of knockback power in his hands. He also can get off blocks and cross offensive linemen’s faces to make tackles in the adjacent gap against the run. The 6-foot-4, 303-pounder isn’t as athletic and as impressive of a pass-rusher as his teammate, though.
