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Raiders’ Day 3 NFL draft sleepers include safety, edge, linebacker
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- Raiders’ Day 3 NFL draft sleepers include safety, edge, linebacker
Armed with seven Day 3 draft picks, including three in the fourth round, the Raiders can load up on the last day of the draft next week.
After filling some big-time needs in free agency, they don’t necessarily feel a pinch to add immediate starters on Day 3. Instead, they can focus on long-range development prospects that can pay off down the line.
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That said, they would love to find some players who can contribute at some point in 2026, either as role players or eventual starters.
Here are some Saturday sleepers they could have their eye on:
Cole Wisniewski , Safety, Texas Tech
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The Raiders have a big need for a developmental safety, and Wisniewski would offer greater value in the fourth round.
He played just one season at Texas Tech but made the most of it with 78 tackles, including six behind the line of scrimmage, and also coming up with six pass breakups.
Before coming to Texas Tech, he had 194 tackles at North Dakota State.
Wisniewski is equally adept at run defense as he is at pass coverage and in time can develop into a solid NFL safety.
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Nadame Tucker , Edge, Western Michigan
The Raiders did well for themselves in 2019 by plucking Maxx Crosby out of Eastern Michigan in the fourth round. Could they go back to that state to reel in another mid-major sleeper off the edge?
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At 6-foot-3, 245 pounds, Tucker was the MAC Defensive Player of the Year while coming up with nine sacks and 12 tackles behind the line of scrimmage. He knows how to get to the quarterback and make his presence felt in the opposing team’s backfield.
Tucker needs some refining, but that is OK because the Raiders have time to develop him. And who better than Crosby to mentor him?
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Red Murdock , Linebacker, Buffalo
The Raiders have had trouble over the years forcing turnovers, and in Murdock, they would bring in a prospect well-versed in making things happen in that area. Murdock set an FBS record by forcing 17 fumbles in his career, demonstrating an obvious skill in punching and forcing the ball from opposing runners’ grips.
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He isn’t the fastest player, and that will factor into his draft positioning, but his tackling and playmaking are reflective of his ability to read, decipher and take great angles. The Raiders have time to develop him, but in the meantime, he would add immediate value on special teams.
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Noah Whittington , Running back, Oregon
The Raiders are looking for an offset to Ashton Jeanty , and Whittington fits the bill.
He is similarly built to Jeanty, standing just a shade over 5-8. But he’s a tough, instinctive, downhill runner who ran for nearly 3,000 yards in his college career.
His 90 receptions for 544 yards are also indicative of his ability to be a factor in the passing game.
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An explosive playmaker who can punish tacklers, Whittington would fit nicely as a complement to Jeanty.
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Darrell Jackson Jr. , Defensive tackle, Florida State
A massively big human being. Jackson Jr. slimmed down at the NFL combine, coming in at 6-5 and 312 pounds. That was down from his high mark at Florida State of 337 pounds.
The Raiders need production at the point of attack, preferably a space-eating nose tackle, and Jackson Jr. has that profile and skill set, coming off 45 tackles and three tackles behind the line of scrimmage last year.
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