The Las Vegas Raiders had Devin White, Jamal Adams and Elandon Roberts start the majority of games at linebacker last season, but all three were on one-year contracts. Linebacker was one of the team’s biggest needs heading into free agency, and they’ve decided to address it in a major way.
According to NFL insider Jordan Schultz, the Raiders have signed former Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Nakobe Dean to a three-year, $36 million contract. But wait, there’s more.
The Raiders are also signing former Green Bay Packers linebacker Quay Walker to a three-year, $40.5 million contract, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. Dean and Walker were two of the best linebackers in free agency, and now they’re both in Las Vegas.
Notably, Walker is a former first-round pick of the Packers in 2022. He has over 100 tackles in each of his four seasons, along with 9.0 sacks.
Dean is a Super Bowl champion who was a third-round pick of the Eagles. He has had a hard time staying healthy, but when he has, he’s been a strong player. In 2024, he started in 15 games and had a 128 tackles to go with 3.0 sacks. He only played in 10 games last season, but still managed to get 4.0 sacks. If he can stay healthy, he’s going to be a massive upgrade at linebacker for the Raiders.
Georgia Reunion
Signing Walker and Dean together is certainly an interesting move. The two played together at Georgia, where they won a National Championship as teammates in 2021. They were also part of the same draft class in 2022.
That historic Georgia team had many players drafted to the NFL, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Dean and Walker haven’t been All-Pro players at the NFL level like many thought they could be, but perhaps reuniting in Las Vegas could be what they need to reach their full potential.
Where Were Walker & Dean Ranked?
The Raiders knew they had to address linebacker, so they did it in a major way. According to ESPN’s Matt Bowen, Walker was the 10th-best free agent in the entire class.
“Walker’s explosive traits create playmaking upside; he can cover ground as a run-and-hit defender,” Bowen wrote. “Plus, he diagnosed the run game at a quicker rate in 2025, averaging 4.9 tackles on designed rushes per game (11th highest). Overall, Walker had 2.5 sacks, 8 tackles for loss and 4 pass breakups.”
Due to injuries, Dean was lower on the list, but he still came in at No. 44.
“Dean bounced back from a knee injury in the 2024 playoffs to produce four sacks, two forced fumbles and 55 total tackles in 10 games in 2025,” Bowen wrote. “He’s the best blitzing linebacker in the league, arriving angry versus running backs in pass protection. And he has the pursuit speed to track the ball on the edges.”
None of the Raiders linebackers from last season were even in the top-100, so this should be a huge upgrade. The Raiders have been big spenders to start free agency. They have a chance to be much better than people expect in 2026 if Fernando Mendoza is an above average starting quarterback as a rookie.
Raiders Reunite 2 Former Georgia Star LBs in Las Vegas With Signings