Las Vegas Raiders could be interested in drafting a player that is right down the street from them at a big position of need

There are needs that the Las Vegas Raiders currently have that should be addressed earlier in the 2025 NFL Draft, and then they have some that should be addressed later in the 2025 NFL Draft.

The linebacker position is a position of need, but it's also on the back burner for the Raiders. They can find a solid guy at the position in the back end of this draft, as linebackers are undervalued in just about every single draft, so they fall low anyway, but also because this group is kind of deep. You have guys like Utah LB Karene Reid, who was great two years ago and was fine this last year. And then there are guys like Jackson Woodard, who have met with the Raiders, his next-door neighbor.

The Raiders could be interested in taking a shot at him in the draft.

Raiders meet with UNLV LB Jackson Woodard at 2025 NFL Combine
Earlier this week when the player met with coaches and media at the 2025 NFL Combine, Woodard, one of the best linebackers in college football a season ago, revealed that he had met with the Raiders in a formal setting through the pre-draft process.

UNLV is just down the road from where the Raiders are in the same city. Doing a meeting with Woodard means they would like to know more information about who the player is as a person, his personality, and things of that nature. And, that could mean that they would be interested in getting him on their team.

Woodard had an impressive college football career as a linebacker, where he started his career at Arkansas before transferring to UNLV. From Little Rock, Arkansas, he joined the Razorbacks in 2020 as a walk-on after a solid high school career, though he wasn’t highly recruited. At Arkansas, he played in 28 games over three years, mostly on special teams, recording 16 tackles and a pass deflection. While his role was small, he gained valuable experience under defensive coordinator Barry Odom.

In 2023, Woodard transferred to UNLV when Odom became head coach there. That year, he started all 14 games and had a breakout season with 116 tackles, nine for loss, 2.5 sacks, four pass deflections, and an interception. He earned first-team All-Mountain West honors and was named a team captain.

In 2024, his final season, Woodard stepped up even more, finishing with 124 tackles, 17 for loss, 3.5 sacks, four interceptions, and two fumble recoveries—one returned for a touchdown. He was named Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year, the first Rebel to win it in 17 years, and earned Second-Team All-American honors, a first for a UNLV linebacker. His performance earned him a spot at the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine, capping off a strong college career.

Now, he is a guy that is still flying under the radar in terms of the 2025 NFL Draft. But, the kid can do it all.

According to Sports Info Solutions, Woodard played 483 coverage snaps and allowed 11 catches on 24 total targets for just under 100 receiving yards. Woodard also had four interceptions with three more that he dropped. So, the kid can play in coverage with some pretty good sideline-to-sideline speed.

He would fit the Patrick Graham/Pete Carroll system well. And, with Robert Spillane as a free agent, the Raiders could use another LB. That doesn't mean they won't bring Spillane back, but the LB position is definitely a position of need.