Las Vegas Raiders just signed two undrafted free agent rookies that the rest of the NFL forgot about
The Las Vegas Raiders wrapped up their 2025 NFL Draft Class on Saturday with some pretty good players. All in all, their class is fairly good, with a few questions here and there. Now, it's about their UDFA class, or their undrafted free agents, that they sign. UDFAs are very important because a lot of […]
The Las Vegas Raiders wrapped up their 2025 NFL Draft Class on Saturday with some pretty good players. All in all, their class is fairly good, with a few questions here and there. Now, it's about their UDFA class, or their undrafted free agents, that they sign.
UDFAs are very important because a lot of these guys will make up your practice squad. And, just like last year, some of these guys will make your 53-man roster, just like Amari Gainer and Ramel Keyton did for the Raiders under the last regime.
The Raiders have already started signing their UDFAs, and I've in fact already made a tracker to keep up with them all. If you've kept up with them, you know the Raiders have signed two guys that the rest of the league forgot to draft.
Raiders sign Mello Dotson and Jah Joyner
Mello Doston was a two-star recruit who picked Kansas over some smaller schools like Central Michigan and FAU. As a freshman, he only saw action in three games, picking up a couple of tackles. Still, you could tell he was just getting warmed up, soaking in the game and finding his place with the Jayhawks. And he ended up doing just that, finding his place.
Then came 2023, and he leveled up big time. Mello tied for the team lead with four interceptions, two of which he took to the house against Oklahoma and Iowa State. With 48 tackles and 11 pass breakups, he was a problem for offenses.
In his final year in 2024, he started in all 12 games. Mello led the Big 12 with five picks, including two more pick-sixes. He added 49 tackles, seven pass breakups, and even forced and recovered a fumble.
So, you see all of this and say, 'Okay, why did he go undrafted then?' Great question. Some guys just don't nail the pre-draft process when it comes to interviews and testing. A combination of athletic limitations and concerns about his translatable skills to the NFL level are a big reason he went undrafted. But the Raiders see something in him, and when you watch his tape, you can see that the potential is high.
As for Jah Joyner, he was undoubtedly the best available edge rusher in the UDFA market. Joyner was a beast for Minnesota in 2023. As a redshirt junior, he led the Gophers with 7.5 sacks, racking up 18 tackles and a couple of forced fumbles across all 13 games, even though he only started one. He was a nightmare for quarterbacks, piling up 46 pressures.
Joyner had a solid 2024 season with the Minnesota Golden Gophers, stepping up big time as a full-time starter! He played and started all 12 games, racking up 32 tackles, six tackles for loss, and 4.5 sacks, while forcing two fumbles and batting down seven passes.
It's a travesty that these kids didn't get drafted, but the Raiders will gladly take them on their team.
Raiders have the chance to have an elite interior offensive line in the future after drafting versatile OL Caleb Rogers
The Raiders needed to address it all, and they did.
