The Las Vegas Raiders have made their big free agency signing by giving former Baltimore Ravens center Tyler Linderbaum. Even with that huge signing, the team is still armed with a ton of salary cap space.
Now that the center need has been filled, the Raiders turned to one of their other biggest needs, wide receiver. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Las Vegas has agreed on a three-year, $35 million contract with former Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Jalen Nailor.
Nailor isn’t a huge need, as he’s been overshadowed by Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison for the majority of his career. Last season, he had 29 catches for 444, which aren’t big numbers.
However, the Raiders are clearly making a bet on upside. Nailor went to high school in Las Vegas, so it’s a bit of a homecoming for him. He first came into the NFL as a sixth-round pick of the Vikings in 2022.
He dealt with some injury issues early in his career, but has been able to stay healthy the last two seasons. The Raiders are paying him a strong salary for a wide receiver who has never caught more than 29 balls in a season. This is a big bet on upside, but general manager John Spytek must’ve seen something he liked.
Nailor Was The Athletic’s No. 27-Ranked WR
Nailor wasn’t being talked about a ton heading into free agency. Many expected the Raiders to go after Alec Pierce or Rashid Shaheed.
However, Nailor has a chance to be the steal of free agency. In Daniel Popper’s ranking of the top free agents for The Athletic, he had Nailor at No. 27 and noted that he’s better than his numbers indicate.
“Nailor’s production does not jump off the screen,” Popper wrote. The 2022 sixth-round pick had a career-high 444 receiving yards in 2025. But Nailor was playing behind Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison, and he dealt with poor quarterback play last season. More importantly, the tape shows a player who is ready to take a big jump in the right environment.”
Raiders Still Need WR Help
Nailor is an interesting player to add and the fact that he’s mostly a slot receiver likely rules out the Raiders targeting USC’s Makai Lemon in the 2026 NFL Draft. That said, the team should still be in the market for wide receiver help.
Jack Bech was a second-round pick last year, but he didn’t show much last season. Dont’e Thornton is an athletic marvel, but he still needs a lot of work. Nailor is another bet on potential.
It wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Raiders target another wide receiver in free agency. They could also still use the No. 14 pick to address the position in the upcoming draft. Regardless, the team is a bit more interesting at the position now.
Nailor still has a lot to prove, but it’s hard to stand out when there are Pro Bowl-level wide receivers ahead of you on the depth chart. If he turns out to be a stud, this could go down as a very savvy signing by Spytek.
Raiders Sign Ex-Vikings WR on Multi-Year Contract: Report