{"id":865060,"date":"2026-04-12T20:46:08","date_gmt":"2026-04-12T20:46:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/865060\/"},"modified":"2026-04-12T20:46:08","modified_gmt":"2026-04-12T20:46:08","slug":"las-vegas-raiders-may-be-getting-a-head-start-on-the-udfa-process-based-on-one-of-their-recent-pre-draft-visits","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/865060\/","title":{"rendered":"Las Vegas Raiders may be getting a head start on the UDFA process based on one of their recent pre-draft visits"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Las Vegas Raiders seem to be very interested in Cal cornerback Brent Austin, as they recently had a few visits with him during this pre-draft process.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\"Cal
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tNov 29, 2025; Berkeley, California, USA; California Golden Bears defensive back Brent Austin (4) during the third quarter against the Southern Methodist Mustangs at California Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tDarren Yamashita-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

The Las Vegas Raiders are close to wrapping up their pre-draft visits, with top-30 visits <\/a>needing to be finished on April 15.<\/p>\n

Some of their visits could be with players they might draft.<\/a> The Raiders are also meeting with players they hope to sign as Undrafted Free Agents. Recently, they did this with a cornerback who could develop into a valuable asset.<\/p>\n

Few Raiders draft tidbits I\u2019ve seen this week:<\/p>\n

-Chris Johnson & Chase Bisontis are coming on a 30 visit
-Raiders met w\/ Cal DB Brent Austin a few times
-Raiders met w\/ Oregon WR Malik Benson at ASG & on Zoom
-Arkansas LB Drew Whalen & UCLA DL Jake Busic coming to LV local day<\/p>\n

\u2014 Levi Dombro (@leviidombroo) April 12, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

According to Levi Dombro of Just Blog Baby, the Raiders have had a few visits with Cal cornerback Brent Austin. He\u2019s currently projected by Dan Brugler of The Athletic to be an Undrafted Free Agent Rookie, or a UDFA. This is important for the Raiders to do because they may value what they do in the UDFA market more. That\u2019s more like free agency, because those players get to choose where they want to go.<\/p>\n

UDFAs may come off as players who weren\u2019t good enough to get drafted, but that\u2019s not always the case. Sometimes, agents will tell teams interested in drafting their players in the seventh round not to, because they would rather go to the UDFA market, where they can choose. Establishing a connection with Austin, a player they clearly like, is a good move. You want to bring these guys on visits, so when it comes time for them to choose where they want to go, they choose Vegas.<\/p>\n

Who is Cal cornerback Brent Austin?<\/p>\n

Brent Austin is not a player I have watched film on yet. He seems to have some good traits<\/a> and potential that the Raiders could tap into. Here is Brugler\u2019s breakdown of him in The Beast, which he recently published. Brugler has Austin as the CB35 in this draft.<\/p>\n

Brent Austin (5\u201911 180) Cal<\/p>\n

+ Competitive at the catch point
+ 88.0 coverage grade in 2025
+ 45.8% completion rate allowed against during the 2025 season
+ Awareness in zone coverage
+ Quick to read and react and break on the football
+ Recovery speed and ran a 4.45 40-yard\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/pubpKhSI9H<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Bengals & Brews (@BengalsBrews) March 25, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cA one-year starter at California, Austin was an outside cornerback in former defensive coordinator Terrence Brown\u2019s scheme (mostly off-man and zone coverages). He worked his way up from having one FBS offer out of high school (James Madison) to playing at South Florida and then delivering an All-ACC senior year at Cal. He led the FBS last season in forced incompletions (17), allowed only 45.8 percent completions when targeted and had a crucial punch-out forced fumble at the goal line to beat North Carolina. <\/p>\n

\u201cHowever, he doesn\u2019t have ideal long speed and has a tough time recovering if caught out of position. He is competitive and tough-minded, both in coverage and versus the run, although his mediocre play strength will be more noticeable when facing NFL talent. Overall, Austin put draftable play on tape in 2025, including a three-week stretch (versus North Carolina, Virginia and Louisville) that created buzz with scouts. His body type and below-average testing will make it tough for him to be drafted, though.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Raiders will likely meet with more potential UDFA players before the draft.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\"Las\t\t<\/p>\n

Las Vegas Raiders News<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\tGiants DT Dexter Lawrence could be the anchor the Raiders\u2019 defense is missing, but a blockbuster trade might not make sense\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

The Las Vegas Raiders need an elite defensive tackle like Dexter Lawrence, but should they do it? There are many reasons why and why not.<\/p>\n