It was an offseason of change for the Las Vegas Raiders, and perhaps no bigger overhaul took place than the one at linebacker. Out were underperforming veterans Devin White, Elandon Roberts and Jamal Adams, and in were young studs Quay Walker and Nakobe Dean.
And while the top of the linebacker room is now certainly set in Las Vegas, the depth still needs to be sorted out. Second-year player Cody Lindenberg seems to have taken a firm grip on the No. 3 spot, but Tommy Eichenberg hasn't separated himself, nor has veteran free agent signing Segun Olubi.
That certainly leaves a path, then, for an unexpected player to boost his stock during training camp and sneak onto the bottom of the 53-man roster. Promising UDFA Xavian Sorey Jr. out of Arkansas came to the Raiders with a great story, but he may stick around due to a tremendous opportunity.
Xavian Sorey Jr. is poised to challenge for spot on Las Vegas Raiders' roster
Although Rob Leonard isn't likely to rotate linebackers all that frequently during the 2026 NFL season, a team typically needs four or five on the roster, at least to shore up the special teams units. This is especially true when a team has a starter like Dean, who has struggled to stay healthy in the past.
With all of this in front of him, Sorey Jr. has a big chance to make himself known when the pads come on at training camp later this month. If the Raiders do keep five linebackers, he'll be competing with Olubi, Cameron McGrone and fellow UDFA Chris Thomas for that fifth spot.
All things considered, that isn't the stiffest competition. At 6-foot-2 and 228 pounds, Sorey Jr. is a great size for an NFL linebacker, and he has some promising traits that Las Vegas could be intrigued by as the preseason moves along.
First of all, Sorey Jr. is an athletic player with adequate sideline-to-sideline speed, and he can wriggle free from blocks to make plays in the run game. He also has a unique talent as a blitzer from the linebacker spot, which the Raiders certainly covet, based on their pursuit of Walker and Dean.
And it certainly doesn't hurt that Sorey Jr. is versatile, playing on both the edge and in the slot, in addition to his majority time in the box. He also has a lot of special teams experience, particularly on kickoff coverage, which is of the utmost importance with the new rules.
Now, Sorey Jr. obviously isn't a perfect player; otherwise, he would have been drafted. He doesn't have prototypical length or strength, which caused him to miss tackles at Arkansas. And although he wasn't targeted much in coverage, Sorey Jr. gave up a lot when the ball was thrown his way.
With an offseason in an NFL weight room and on a professional nutrition program, though, Sorey Jr. can improve his strength. And with a top-tier linebacker coach in Ronell Williams, as well as a great vet to learn from in Dean, Sorey Jr. can improve his coverage chops as well.
What Sorey Jr. mainly has going for him is a lack of surefire solutions ahead of him. And it doesn't hurt that the Raiders gave him $70,000 in guaranteed money. He may need a full year in the building before he's ready to make a run at the 53-man roster, but he's an ideal practice squad candidate.
Sorey Jr. already has a rapport with Dean and Walker from his early college days at Georgia, though, and the trust that comes from those relationships isn't unimportant in the NFL. Training camp will provide Sorey Jr. with a major chance to raise his stock. Let's see what this underdog can do.
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