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Raiders Host Elite, Ultra-Athletic Linebacker Prospect Visit

The Las Vegas Raiders hosted a visit that may give some inkling to their draft day plan.
Fernando Alfaro-Donis|
Feb 24, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Las Vegas Raiders general manager John Spytek speaks at the NFL Scouting Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Feb 24, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Las Vegas Raiders general manager John Spytek speaks at the NFL Scouting Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

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Las Vegas Raiders

The Las Vegas Raiders can greatly help their rebuild by having a successful draft class. The first overall pick is all but set in stone, but it's the rest of the draft that will determine if their future is that much brighter.

Whether you think Fernando Mendoza will turn into a superstar or not, it's undeniable that the hope he gives an organization that's yet to see the light at the end of the tunnel for the past couple of seasons. Which pre-draft visit did the Raiders just host that shows their heads are in the right place?

Pre-draft Visit

Jack Dingle spent the entirety of his collegiate career as a Cincinnati Bearcat, and he enters the draft as a linebacker with impressive size and speed. In his time in Cincinnati, he showed good play recognition and used his speed to barrel downhill quickly. In 2025, he had 60 total tackles and three sacks.

Three sacks are the most he's had in a single season, so his pass rush isn't something the Raiders should be banking on. However, he's good at wrapping up and securing tackles as well as being a captain on the field and diagnosing play calls before they happen.

He's patient and is able to start and stop his feet to make plays whenever he needs to. He'll be excellent at stopping the run, and even if his pass rush moves aren't effective, in all blitzes, he will be the first to break through the line of scrimmage.

Plenty of teams will be interested in Dingle, but what I like most about him on the Raiders is that he'll be given time to develop behind a strong linebacker corps. Quay Walker and Nakobe Dean were huge free agency additions, and Dingle will be an effective backup and valuable depth if either one of them goes down with an injury.

Jack Dingle
Sep 9, 2023; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers quarterback Phil Jurkovec (5) scrambles with the ball as Cincinnati Bearcats linebacker Jack Dingle (49) chases during the second quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Ideally, the Raiders would take him with their third-round pick. They have the 67th pick, and that's early enough in the third where they'll be able to select him if they want. I personally believe this is a player they should be targeting because of his mix of athleticism and play recognition.

John Spytek has taken linebackers in his draft classes before, like Cody Lindenberg, but Dingle allows him to draft a player they can build and rely on for their future. This pre-draft visit shows that they're interested in bringing him in, and in their best interest, they should select him.

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Fernando Alfaro-Donis
FERNANDO ALFARO-DONIS

Fernando Alfaro-Donis found his passion for sports playing high school football, which led him to pursue journalism as an English major at UCLA. He also covers the UCLA Bruins and the Los Angeles Rams as an On SI team reporter.