The Las Vegas Raiders have been largely held back by an inability to draft in recent seasons. There have been some gems like Maxx Crosby, Josh Jacobs, Nate Hobbs and Hunter Renfrow, but the team's selections have largely let them down.
Last season, the tides turned a bit, as then-general manager Tom Telesco drafted First-Team All-Pro tight end Brock Bowers and All-Rookie lineman Jackson Powers-Johnson. Third-rounder DJ Glaze was also solid as a rookie, but the Day 3 picks amounted to nothing for the Silver and Black last year.
Before the season even started, 2024 seventh-round cornerback MJ Devonshire was waived and brought back to the Raiders' practice squad. He was never promoted to the active roster last season and was quickly waived by the team upon Pete Carroll and John Spytek's arrival.
Former Raiders CB MJ Devonshire cut by Panthers
Devonshire landed with the Carolina Panthers, as they claimed him on the waiver wire just days after the Raiders parted ways with him in late April. After making it through the offseason program, however, Devonshire was immediately waived with an injury designation after a few days of camp.
Carolina has star cornerback Jaycee Horn and another solid player in Michael Jackson at the position, but the depth behind them was shaky. Still, Devonshire got hurt at the wrong time, and his stint with the Panthers is already over.
Ironically, the Panthers brought cornerback Mello Dotson aboard to take his place, whom the Raiders signed as an undrafted free agent in April. After being released following a flurry of moves in Las Vegas earlier this week, Dotson finds a new home after Devonshire's release once again.
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At 5-foot-11 and 179 pounds, Devonshire is a bit on the small side for an NFL cornerback. However, the former Kentucky and Pittsburgh product had a highly productive college career, headlined by seven interceptions, 18 passes defended and three defensive touchdowns in his final two seasons.
Depending on the severity of his injury, it may be some time until Devonshire finds his way onto another NFL roster. He certainly has the potential to be a capable player in the slot, but he's yet to prove that he can hang at the professional level.
Devonshire's inability to make an NFL roster through two seasons makes Raider Nation wonder why Telesco mortgaged a draft pick on him in the first place, especially when solid players like Jonah Laulu and Devaughn Vele were available at the time of his selection.