Raiders just made a minor roster move that they had no choice but to make before the 2026 NFL Draft
The Las Vegas Raiders need as many safeties on their roster as they can get right now, as they now only have three after signing Tristin McCollum to his exclusive rights tender.
The Las Vegas Raiders are still making roster moves just before the 2026 NFL Draft kicks off. However, this time it’s a move from within — they’re bringing someone back, but that someone plays a position they may need more than any other on the roster.
When you look at this team’s roster, there is one glaring hole. Sure, the quarterback position is No. 1, but we all know that will be addressed with the No. 1 overall pick in Fernando Mendoza. Their next biggest issue is undoubtedly the fact that they had only two safeties on the roster, both on one-year deals.
They have to draft at least one safety in this draft, one who can cover and take over when Jeremy Chinn and Isaiah Pola-Mao are potentially gone. Until they can get to the draft to make those decisions, the Raiders have been busy working on an exclusive rights tender with safety Tristin McCollum. So, the Raiders are bringing back some depth at the position. They now have three safeties on the roster and need about three more.
Who is Raiders safety Tristin McCollum?
McCollum previously played for the Houston Texans and Philadelphia Eagles before playing with the Raiders last season. He played 142 total snaps last season, with 92 of them being coverage snaps. Two of the last nine games saw his play increase significantly, with each game featuring 30 coverage snaps, dating back to Week 9 and then Week 18.
With just nine tackles on the year, McCollum also didn’t have many stats against him in the passing game. He allowed three catches on four targets for 28 receiving yards. The biggest catch he gave up was a 19-yarder. McCollum also gave up 15 yards total of YAC, or Yards After the Catch.
There’s not much on McCollum. However, the Raiders liked what little they saw of him last season. Of course, it also doesn’t help that he’s one of their only options for adding safety depth right now.
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