An NFC assistant coach didn’t hold back on the Las Vegas Raiders signing linebacker Quay Walker
The Las Vegas Raiders made the decision to go all in on the defense in free agency, and signing Quay Walker was a huge move.
The Las Vegas Raiders decided to spend big in free agency, but that decision also had a focal point on the defensive side of the ball. It was very obvious, very quickly, that Vegas realized just how much help they needed on defense.
Most of their second-most available cap space entering free agency was dedicated to the defensive side of the ball. They made moves on the offensive side of the ball, too. However, five signings they made were defensive players, with two of them being re-signings. One of the more notable signings was the linebacker duo of Nakobe Dean and Quay Walker. This is already the most improved position group on the roster, outside of maybe the QB position. And, there’s a huge reason why. NFL coaches around the league love what Walker brings to the game.
NFL coaches and executives talk about Raiders LB Quay Walker via ESPN
“The light finally came on for him last year. I thought he diagnosed the run game better than in the past. He has always been fast, long, and can hit.” – NFC Assistant coach per Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.
The two linebackers the Raiders signed, Nakobe Dean and Walker, played together for the Georgia Bulldogs, where they won a National Championship. So, they’re close, but the two NFL careers haven’t been quite as successful individually as their college careers were. That doesn’t mean they’re bad; both have the potential to be elite at their positions. It just means that in college, they were superstars; in the NFL, they weren’t retained by the teams that drafted them after their rookie contract expired, even though they had been drafted fairly high by their previous teams.
Many believe Walker was never used properly with the Green Bay Packers. Now, there are some cheese heads out there that may argue that when they did, he still played poorly. They had two different coordinators during the time he was there, who both used him differently, whether on or off the ball. The Raiders are transitioning to a 3-4 defense, meaning three down linemen and potentially two outside linebackers who may drop back into coverage or rush the passer, with two inside linebackers in the middle.
Walker finished 2025 with 27 catches allowed on 36 targets, for 244 yards and one touchdown while in coverage, per Sports Info Solutions. Dean allowed five catches on 11 targets for 39 yards. But, was not asked to drop back into coverage nearly as much. Dean played 205 coverage snaps while Walker played 435. Regardless of how you feel about the two, the Raiders are easily a better team now. Their LB room is worlds better, and Walker is a huge reason why.