Two weeks ago the Raiders made a noteworthy addition. They signed former Dolphins defensive tackle Benito Jones to a free agent deal. As of the first set of OTA practices, Jones was not yet in attendance. But this week Jones was on hand with his new teammates, ready to battle for the team's starting nose tackle spot.
The fifth-year veteran joins a wide open competition in which he is easily the most proven presence. The others vying for that job are 2025 sixth round pick JJ Pegues, 2026 seventh round pick Brandon Cleveland, and undrafted rookie Gary Smith III. So having Jones at practice makes it an actual competition. This means if any of the young hopefuls are to grab that spot, they will have to earn it.
Jones started 38 games over the past three seasons for the Dolphins and Lions , collecting 65 combined tackles and nine tackles for loss.
This article originally appeared on Raiders Wire: Raiders newest free agent addition takes field for week two of OTA practice
