The first major wave of the roster cut deadline has already passed. Every team has cut their roster down to 53 players.
However, there’s a second wave that sees teams fighting to add players who just became available. Luckily for the Las Vegas Raiders, they start the season with No. 1 priority on the waiver wire.
That means they get first pick on all of the players who were placed on waivers. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the first player they’re adding is former San Francisco 49ers cornerback Darrell Luter Jr.
The Raiders are allowed to claim however many players they want from the No. 1 waiver claim. Luter is expected to be one.
Luter was part of the 49ers’ final cuts. They likely wanted him back, but he didn’t clear waivers. The Raiders seemed to have much bigger needs on the roster. They still should add another defensive end and wide receiver.
Cornerback is one of the positions that’s looking strong for the team. They must just really like what Luter has to offer. He came into the NFL as a fifth-round pick of the 49ers in 2023. He has played in 23 games for the team across the last three seasons, starting in three of them. The Raiders recently got a close look at him during the final preseason game. He’s only 26 years old, so the team may be banking on there being some upside with him. The Raiders are very young in the secondary, so Luter brings a bit more experience.
Takeaways From Raiders’ CB Room
The Raiders didn’t make any shocking moves at cornerback at the deadline. The only notable decision was to let go of Greedy Vance and keep Decamerion Richardson. Eric Stokes is solidified as a starter after a really strong season in 2025.
Darien Porter, Jermod McCoy and Hezekiah Masses are all very young players, but have a ton of potential. The Athletic’s Sam Warren broke down his thoughts on the cornerback room.
“Las Vegas opted to keep depth on the perimeter over the slot by keeping Richardson instead of Vance,” Warren wrote. “Porter has staked his claim as the starter opposite Stokes, though rookies McCoy and Masses should continue to challenge him for that role throughout the season. While there isn’t a lot of experience among the trio, the Raiders are excited about their promise, and each should see significant playing time this year.”
CB Room Could Face Growing Pains
Stokes is going to be a good player for the Raiders if he stays healthy. So will slot cornerback Taron Johnson. However, the rest of the players are a bit unknown. Porter is in his second season, but he only played limited snaps last year. He appears to be in line to start, but could lose that job quickly if he struggles.
McCoy would’ve been a first-round pick if it weren’t for injuries, but he also didn’t play football last year. It’s going to take time for him to get back to 100%. Masses has been a pleasant surprise in training camp. He was a fifth-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, but is already proving that he deserves reps. This group has so much potential, but considering how young it is, there will likely be some ugly moments along the way.