Jaylon Smith’s career resurrection faces steep challenge in Las Vegas

Veteran linebacker has experience but Raiders added productive veteran Germaine Pratt as a free agent

The Silver & Black are no strangers to career renaissance and resurrection.

So it was no surprise to see the Las Vegas Raiders ink veteran linebacker Jaylon Smith to a one-year deal after a weekend tryout in early May. With a meager salary of $1.255 million, the 30-year-old second round pick (34th overall) from the 2016 NFL Draft once again sports the Silver & Black colors — something he wore in 2023.

Las Vegas was in dire need of more experience and depth at the linebacker spot for head coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Spytek brought the once-tenacious tackling machine back into the Raiders’ fold.

Smith, along with fellow veterans Elandon Roberts (31 years old) and Devin White (27 years old) were brought into help the team fill in the gaps for former starters Robert Spillane and Divine Deablo who signed with the New England Patriots and Atlanta Falcons, respectively, as unrestricted free agents.

By The Numbers
Jaylon Smith, Linebacker

• 2024: Did Not Play
• Career: (2017-23) 88 games (69 starts), 626 total tackles (378 solo), 11 sacks, 24 tackles for loss, 18 quarterback hits, 2 interceptions, 21 pass deflections, 6 forced fumbles, 6 fumble recovers, 1 defensive touchdown (fumble return)

And for much of OTAs and mandatory minicamp from June 10-12, it sure looked like the trio of old heads — Roberts, White, Smith and youngsters Amari Gainer and Tommy Eichenberg — would duke it out for either starting spots or snaps.

But, seemingly out of the blue, the Cincinnati Bengals cut productive starting linebacker Germaine Pratt and in one fell swoop, the Raiders bolstered their position group by scooping up the free agent veteran.

With Pratt now in tow, Smith’s career resurrection faces a steep challenge in Las Vegas.

Two seasons ago, Smith played in only one game for the Raiders and his 25 total snaps in 2023 was the lowest of his entire career. He didn’t play a single snap in the NFL in 2024 and the last time Smith had extensive work was the 2022 season with the New York Giants where he played in 13 games (11 starts) at inside linebacker and produced 88 total tackles with one sack, and one fumble recovery.

That lone year was a return to form of sorts for the Notre Dame product, but since then, he’s been an afterthought.

With Pratt now in the mix, Smith can potentially get lost in the shuffle — again.

Before Pratt’s arrival, Roberts has taken to the Raiders defense the strongest and appears in line to earn a starting spot at linebacker this season. The 6-foot-1 and 230-pound Houston product had two strong seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2023 and 2024 and brings the tenacity and violence Carroll and linebackers coach John Glenn favor from the position group. Roberts is a hard-nosed, intelligent, instinctive, and packs a wallop as an inside linebacker.

Pratt, meanwhile, brings ample size at 6-foot-3 and 250 pounds, and the 29-year-old North Carolina State product was a 17-game starter the past two season for the Bengals. An old-school tackling machine who produced 261 total tackles, two sacks, four interceptions, and nine pass deflections from 2023-24 is likely to carve his own starting spot alongside Roberts in Patrick Graham’s Raiders defense.

If the the team deploys a 4-2-5 nickel base formation once again in 2025, there’s a high probability Pratt and Roberts are the one and two with others mixing in and out. If Graham deploys a 4-3 look as the base, that’ll open up a third spot for a group that’s a mix of veterans and youngsters.

White, at 27 years old, was the fifth-overall pick in the 2019 draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and showcased playmaking ability as a 6-foot, 237-pound defender who could tackle and cover. But ever since the 2022 campaign — White’s lowest production with 83 total tackles in his first five seasons in the NFL — White’s career floundered. Raider Nation may remember the play below during his Bucs days, but it seems White doesn’t have the same explosion to his game.

That all said, Spytek is very familiar with White and there’s always a chance the LSU product can recapture some of his playmaking ability.

Carroll, though, is a big proponent of competing and earning snaps. Thus, Smith can be right in the thick of the mix if he shows out. But Gainer (25 years old), Eichenberg (24), along with seventh-round pick in the 2025 draft Cody Lindenberg (23) are going to put up a fight of their own. There’s also undrafted rookies Jailin Walker (22), Matt Jones (23), and Michael Barrett (25) looking to earn a roster spot, too.

Thus, the climb got steeper for Smith. And it’s up to him if he can reach the summit.