With or without Maxx Crosby on the roster, the Las Vegas Raiders will need to add some serious talent on the defensive line. In particular, signing or drafting players who can get after the quarterback should be near the top of the priority list for the Silver and Black.
Western Michigan's Nadame Tucker isn't one of the most popular or heralded names in what is a deep edge rusher draft class in 2026. But he could provide some serious pass-rush juice for Rob Leonard's defense, and he isn't likely to cost more than a late-round draft pick to acquire.
Western Michigan EDGE Nadame Tucker 2026 NFL Draft Scouting Report
Notes:
Height:Â 6-foot-2
Weight: 247 pounds
Arm Length: 31 3/8"
Combine Testing: 6th-best overall among DE/EDGE. (Full Profile)
Recruiting:Â Unranked recruit in class of 2019. Three-star JUCO recruit in 2022. Three-star transfer recruit in 2024. After two years at two JUCOs, he committed to Houston. He played three years there and spent his final season at Western Michigan.
College Production:Â 10 total tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss in three seasons at Houston. 14.5 sacks, 21.0 tackles for loss, four forced fumbles and 55 total tackles in final year at Western Michigan. Led nation in both sacks and tackles for loss. MAC Defensive Player of the Year. Vern Smith Leadership Award Winner in 2025. First-Team All-MAC in 2025.
Positives:
- Fresh off a highly productive senior season. 14.5 sacks and 21.0 tackles for loss led the nation in 2025, added 55 tackles and four forced fumbles.
- Great feel and instincts for someone with very few college snaps. Didn't play football until his senior year of high school, so his skill set is rapidly improving.
- Quick get-off, great bend around the edge, and speed flashes on backside pursuits. Frequently uses speed/quickness to get to the quarterback.
- When he times it correctly and is decisive, his hand-swiping is unstoppable. Hands and feet work well together.
- More agile and athletic than combine testing showed. Adjusts and redirects on the fly mid-play.
- Great Senior Bowl week, capped off by a great game, including a strip sack. His on-field combine workout was up there with the best. Continues to improve
There is a lot to like about Tucker's game. Again, as a longtime former basketball player, he has a lot to learn. But his history in that sport gives him a distinct speed, quickness and bend advantage. His production as a senior simply cannot be denied, and if he keeps ascending and finds the right situation in the NFL, he could strike gold as a rotational edge rusher.
Negatives:Â
- Firmly on the small side at 6-foot-2, 247 pounds and with 31 and 3/8-inch arms. Struggles with bigger/longer tackles as a result, gets swallowed up at point of attack.
- Reputation isn't great against the run. Not due to lack of effort, but could certainly improve that aspect of the game. Still, 36 run stops as a senior. But may be limited to pass-rush downs or NASCAR packages.
- Frequently loses hand battles due to poor placement and an inability to punch and extend. As a smaller edge rusher, he needs to have more of a plan when that happens, as he lacks counter moves.
- Lack of career production (0.0 sacks and 1.5 TFL in three seasons before 2025) may concern teams. Also played at four colleges in six years, making him a journeyman and older prospect, which isn't ideal.
- Insignificant history with playing special teams isn't ideal for a Day 3 player with little college production.
Tucker obviously isn't a perfect prospect, otherwise his senior year alone would vault him into early-round conversations. He has some serious fine-tuning to do, and Tucker needs to find out more ways to win. He is already at a disadvantage, size-wise, so he must develop other aspects of his game if he wants to thrive at the next level.
Nadame Tucker NFL Player Comparison: Body of Mohamed Kamara, Play of Jonah Elliss
Finding a comparison for Tucker was difficult. Rarely is a player that small and light with such short arms at the position, and it's hard to find players with one legitimate year of sack production. But Kamara, who was 6-foot-1 and 238 pounds with 32 and 3/8-inch arms, is the closest thing.
Both Tucker and Elliss are fast and agile edge rushers who win with speed and quickness, not necessarily violence or power. Neither player was advanced in the hand-fighting department coming out of college, but Elliss has turned into a solid rotational EDGE in the NFL, giving Tucker some hope.
Nadame Tucker NFL Draft Grade: Mid-Day 3 (Rounds 5-6)
How early Tucker goes on Day 3 will be all about fit. If a team isn't worried about adding a pure pass-rusher with little to no projected prowess against the run, he could land in the fifth round. Despite his size, his production was so good in 2025 that teams may not be able to turn a blind eye to it.
But as a smaller edge rusher with only one year of college production, especially at the lower end of the FBS level, Tucker was always going to be climbing an uphill battle come April. Still, he is rapidly improving and showed enough at Western Michigan for a team to take a solid chance on him.