It seems like Las Vegas Raiders fans fall in love with an unheralded player or two every training camp, and rarely do they ever materialize during the preseason, let alone the regular season. But this year, these fixations have generally seemed to be worth the attention, at least in the early going.
One of the underrated players, at least league-wide, that Raider Nation has been a big fan of lately is UDFA Cian Slone. The NC State product signed with Las Vegas after the 2026 NFL Draft, inking a deal with $272,500 guaranteed, the most among the Raiders' undrafted players this year.
After a strong spring, word out of training camp was that Slone was performing well and that those in the building felt strongly about him. Well, it only took one preseason game for it to become obvious why the sentiment around him in Las Vegas is what it is, as he exceeded expectations in the opener.
Raiders UDFA DE Cian Slone shines in preseason game vs. Cardinals
Taking a quick look at the stat sheet will tell some of the story for Slone, as he notched his first career sack against the Arizona Cardinals, as well as two other tackles. But watching him out there was a different story entirely, as he made several NFL-level plays to put those numbers in the box score.
Slone lined up in a wide 5-technique on the play that he got his sack, utilizing that extra space to pick up speed and get the right tackle on his heels. Slone then chopped the tackle's hands, bent around the edge, and redirected up the pocket to leap on the Cardinals' quarterback.
That is advanced stuff.
He also made a really nice play against the run for one of his two run stops. Arizona ran the ball away from Slone and left him unblocked, which he recognized early. He trusted his read and instincts and chased down the ball carrier for no gain. Slone also juked the right tackle again for another run stuff.
Now, Slone did miss a tackle, but according to Pro Football Focus, he still turned in the seventh-highest overall grade on Las Vegas' defense, as well as the second-highest pass rush grade, and he had a pass-rush win rate of 22.2%, which was the best on the team in the preseason opener.
Between what they had heard and the amount of guaranteed money that he was given, Raiders fans had high expectations for Slone. And in just one preseason game, it is safe to say that the highly-billed rookie exceeded them.
It still won't be easy for Slone to make the 53-man roster, let alone carve out a role, but the prized UDFA is well on his way. If he keeps stacking performances like the one he had last Thursday, though, Slone may become impossible to ignore.
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