Despite a relatively strong linebacking corps last season, the new regime for the Las Vegas Raiders clearly saw the need for turnover at the position. Starters Robert Spillane and Divine Deablo were not offered a contract by the team in free agency, and the Raiders signed cheap veterans Elandon Roberts and Devin White to replace them.
After choosing only one linebacker in the 2025 NFL Draft, an argument could be made for the team adding another starting-caliber free agent linebacker. The depth behind Roberts and White is not impressive and lacks experience, making the linebacker room by far the weakest unit on the defense.
With an eye on the future, the Raiders only signed Roberts and White to one-year deals and used their final pick of this year's draft on a linebacker, Minnesota's Cody Lindenberg. He will likely be just a special teams contributor right away, but his profile would indicate that he may be a future starter.
Cody Lindenberg could start at LB for the Raiders in 2025
Bleacher Report's Brent Sobleski named every NFL team's best value selection of the 2025 NFL Draft, and despite various options making sense, he felt that Lindenberg best fit this description.
"Even as the team's final selection as part of this year's seventh round, Minnesota's Cody Lindenberg has the potential to enter and stay in the lineup," Sobleski wrote. "Granted, Lindenberg has some of the same inadequacies in his game as Roberts and White since all three are better working downhill rather than playing in space."
It sounds like Las Vegas seeks out a certain kind of linebacker, and they got exactly what they desired in Lindenberg. If he can learn the ropes from two experienced NFL veterans who have similar play styles, Lindenberg may be on a fast-track to the starting lineup.
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"Lindenberg has proved to be a productive option when given the opportunity," Sobleski went on. "He did battle a couple of injuries during his collegiate career, which likely drove him into the latter portions of the draft's third day. Considering the circumstances and overall skill set, Lindenberg has the makings of a future starter in the Raiders' lineup, as long as he stays healthy."
This glowing review of Lindenberg is exactly what Raider Nation wants to hear, and his shortcomings in coverage may be overblown anyway. He had 15 coverage stops, six pass breakups and four forced incompletions last season, according to Pro Football Focus. Lindenberg is not likely to contain offensive players in 1-on-1 coverage, but his general football savvy makes him more than adequate in a zone.
When Raiders head coach Pete Carroll was with the Seattle Seahawks, he fostered a culture of competition. This meant that every player was a candidate to be a starter every year, no matter the position or resume. Lindenberg should be a future starting linebacker for the Raiders, but the idea that he could start right away as a rookie should not be discounted either.