Raiders Host Elite, Ultra-Athletic Linebacker Prospect Visit
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
Former Cincinnati LB Jack Dingle is visiting the Raiders today, per source.
- Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) April 15, 2026
One of the most athletic linebackers in the class, Dingle also visited the Chiefs and attended the Bengals local day. pic.twitter.com/N8Me8pQ1ES
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.
DINGLE BELLS
- VIVA LA CATS (@VivaLaCatsPod) November 23, 2025
DINGLE BELLS
DINGLE ALL THE WAY @Jack_Dingle1pic.twitter.com/KFUZjMgnjb
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.
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.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/raiders/onsi as Raiders Host Elite, Ultra-Athletic Linebacker Prospect Visit.
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This story was originally published April 16, 2026 at 8:00 AM.