Las Vegas Raiders linebackers Quay Walker and Nakobe Dean look like the presumed starters at linebacker. However, just beneath them, another player will figure into the season. Cody Lindenberg , a 2025 seventh-round pick, continues to impress. While not as athletically gifted as Walker and Dean, the Minnesota product uses lightning-fast processing and scheme command, which thrills defensive coordinator Rob Leonard.
Last season, he recorded seven tackles in 362 special teams snaps. During OTA, with Dean out, Lindenberg took first-team snaps, wearing the green dot. As mentioned, Dean is the starter. However, with his injury history, Lindenberg isn't far off.
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Dean is a tackling machine, as evidenced by his 128 tackles in 2024. Also, he rushes the passer well with consecutive three-sack seasons. However, the aspect that kicks the door open for Lindenberg with the Raiders is Dean's injury history. First, a Lisfranc injury ended his 2022 season. Next, a patellar tendon tear ended his 2024 season and kept him out of seven games last year. While OTA reps aren't a pure indication of future performance. However, it does show Leonard that Linderberg can step in if it happens.
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Granted, playing college ball at Minnesota may not serve as the best indicator. However, his time as a leader demonstrates that Lindenberg can excel under pressure. What helps is the ability to process the play quickly. Not to mention, the anticipation and instincts that come with it.
For example, on outside zone plays, Lindenberg arrives early, not due to his athletic ability but to his vision, the understanding of where the play will head, and arriving beforehand. Even Walker sees and appreciates the second-year defender.
"Honestly, man, Cody is a guy who's tremendously smart. Knows everything and knows what everybody's supposed to be doing and stuff like that. It's certain things that I feel like I can help him with, as in, being off the quarterback; whatever they may be—just any little thing. So any advice I can give him, I try to just give it to him. And he's like a sponge. He soaks up anything I give to him. He doesn't feel any type of way. I don't try to be on him as much. I still allow him to be himself, but if I can help in any way, I just try to do that, and he always listens to me. So shout out to Cody for sure."
After a strong OTA, the Raiders potentially see Lindenberg as a chess piece with the ability to play downhill and intelligently. Last year, in the midst of a rookie season, the linebacker spoke to Vinny Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Journal Review .
"I think for me, it's doing my absolute best every day to make sure I get better than I was the day before. Because that's all I can control. I can't control what other people are doing or what the team across from us does. I don't control what play calls the opposing offense makes. But what I can do is my job. I can make sure I go as hard as I possibly can."
Lindenberg may not start a single game for the Raiders this season. However, with Dean's history, you never know when the Raiders will need him.
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