With the sun beating down on Day 2 of mandatory minicamp, the Las Vegas Raiders’ defense looked energized\u2014and notably different. A mix of veterans, rising stars and fresh leadership is fueling the early identity of a unit that underwent significant changes this offseason. At the center of that shift is linebacker Devin White, who signed with the Raiders in free agency after five seasons in Tampa Bay.<\/p>\n
White, a former Pro Bowler and Super Bowl champion, said he feels healthy again after battling through a foot injury last season. \u201cI dealt with some things in my foot that were kind of very triggering, and trying to play through it took a lot of rehab,\u201d he said. \u201cBut now I\u2019m able to just be myself and have fun.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Raiders play in a stacked AFC West featuring Patrick Mahomes and Justin Herbert. White, who had a game-sealing interception against Mahomes in Super Bowl LV, welcomes the challenge. \u201cWe had some good battles,\u201d White said. \u201cHe brings out the best in you. It\u2019s best on best\u2014a good quarterback and a good linebacker going at it.\u201d<\/p>\n
White credited assistant GM John Spytek and the coaching staff, including Pete Carroll and defensive coordinator Patrick Graham, for drawing him to Las Vegas. \u201cI\u2019m cool with being part of a build,\u201d he said. \u201c[Patrick Graham] sat me down, walked me through the defense, showed me how I could be used\u2014and that was very big.\u201d<\/p>\n
Veteran defensive tackle Adam Butler, who re-signed with the Raiders this spring, said the continuity with Graham is a major asset for the returning players. \u201cIt eliminates the anxiety of having to relearn coaching styles,\u201d he said. \u201cI know what they expect, and I know I can deliver.\u201d<\/p>\n
Butler is coming off a career-best season and says he\u2019s focused on fine-tuning his game. \u201cMy goal this year is to eliminate the close calls,\u201d he said. \u201cThere were plays where I was this close, and I\u2019m working on finishing those.\u201d<\/p>\n
He\u2019s also stepped into a leadership role, mentoring rookies like Tonka Hemingway and Tank Booker. \u201cThey care. Sometimes a little too much\u2014you have to tell them to loosen up. But that\u2019s a good problem to have,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, third-year defensive end Tyree Wilson said he finally feels settled\u2014and ready to meet expectations. \u201cThis is the biggest year,\u201d Wilson said. \u201cMy teammates are counting on me. The team\u2019s counting on me. I\u2019ve got to go out there and show it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Wilson has been working closely with Maxx Crosby and credited the All-Pro with helping him elevate his game. \u201cHe critiques me every day. Iron sharpens iron,\u201d Wilson said. \u201cHe\u2019s been successful, so I listen. I always ask him, \u2018What can I do better?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
Wilson said his offseason focus was on footwork, versatility, and getting in peak shape. \u201cI\u2019m trying to be more efficient inside, work edge moves, counter moves\u2014not just be a power guy,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
At safety, Isaiah Pola-Mao enters 2025 with a new deal and a familiar mindset. \u201cThere\u2019s always a level of laziness that can creep in when you get something, but being undrafted, I\u2019ve always had that chip,\u201d he said. \u201cI want to earn that starting role.\u201d<\/p>\n
Pola-Mao praised the energy and leadership of newcomers like White and returners like Elandon Roberts. \u201cHaving Devin on the field is almost like a second coach,\u201d he said. \u201cHe knows what it\u2019s supposed to look like.\u201d<\/p>\n
The chemistry is still developing across a retooled secondary, but Pola-Mao said it starts with communication and preparation. \u201cIf it\u2019s a rookie out there, you\u2019ve got to understand he\u2019s surviving,\u201d he said. \u201cIf it\u2019s a vet, you know what to expect. That slows the game down.\u201d<\/p>\n
As for Crosby\u2019s headline-making pick-six in practice, Pola-Mao had one reaction: \u201cHell yeah, we were jealous. He\u2019s doing our job for us\u2014but that was a hell of a play.\u201d<\/p>\n
With minicamp continuing through the week, the message across the Raiders\u2019 defense is clear: buy in, bring energy, and build the identity together. \u201cRome wasn\u2019t built overnight,\u201d White said. \u201cBut we\u2019re putting something together here\u2014and I\u2019m glad to be a part of it.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"With the sun beating down on Day 2 of mandatory minicamp, the Las Vegas Raiders’ defense looked energized\u2014and…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":123041,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2065],"tags":[5684,5685,5686,7,5687,1744,5688,5689,393,5690,2455,2454,6,5691,5692,525],"class_list":{"0":"post-123040","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-las-vegas-raiders","8":"tag-13-action-news","9":"tag-abc-13","10":"tag-allegiant-stadium","11":"tag-football","12":"tag-ktnv-tv-channel-13","13":"tag-las-vegas","14":"tag-las-vegas-football-team","15":"tag-las-vegas-nfl","16":"tag-las-vegas-raiders","17":"tag-las-vegas-sports","18":"tag-lasvegas","19":"tag-lasvegasraiders","20":"tag-nfl","21":"tag-nfl-football-in-las-vegas","22":"tag-nfl-las-vegas","23":"tag-raiders"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nfl\/114668313644832310","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/123040","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=123040"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/123040\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/123041"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=123040"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=123040"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=123040"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}