Raiders undrafted free agent among most 'underrated' to make roster
Sports analytics site did a deep dive to find those undrafted players who are the most underrated to make a roster and the Raiders signed one.
Even with ten drafted players incoming, the Raiders still had a lot of roster spots available. They filled those spots by adding an astounding 21 undrafted free agents. Among them, they added several who look to have a pretty good shot of making the regular season roster .
Kevin Fielder over at Wide Left -- the people who put together the annual consensus draft board -- went beyond their top 300 to list a few players who they consider the most underrated undrafted free agents who could make their team's regular season roster. Among them was Raiders UDFA DT Gary Smith III who was the second player listed. Gary Smith III will likely never offer much more than being a reliable run stopper in the NFL.
The good news for Smith is that being a big body in the middle of a defense is a skill set that will continue to get players paid. While Smith doesn’t offer much athletically, his 2025 film showed more explosiveness and quickness than any other season, likely a direct byproduct of him losing 20 pounds following a season-ending injury in 2024. Even with that increased quickness, Smith’s calling card is pure strength and aggressive hands, making him an intriguing space-eating nose tackle.
Although the Raiders had a reasonably good run defense last season, there isn’t a lot of talent on the Raiders’ defensive line. Players like JJ Pegues (a sixth-round pick in 2025) and Adam Butler will likely see a bulk of the playing time, but there’s a pathway for someone like Smith to crack the 53-man roster and even see playing time as a rookie if he can beat fellow rookie, seventh-round pick Brandon Cleveland, and players like former Lions, Chiefs and Steelers defensive tackle Brodric Martin. For what it's worth, I had Smith as the sixth most likely to make the Raiders roster among their undrafted free agent.