Raiders' cornerback race tightens — and an undrafted rookie won’t go away
Undrafted cornerbacks usually disappear into camp bodies. Not this time. The Raiders’ secondary is jammed with draft picks and veterans, yet Mello Dotson keeps popping up as the undrafted rookie who looks like he belongs. At 6-foot-1 with 31.5-inch arms, the Kansas product checks the length-and-leverage boxes that Pete Carroll has leaned on for years. It’s the profile built for press techniques, long levers at the line, and turning 50-50 throws into punts.
So why did he slide out of the 2025 draft? Teams will say nuance: scheme fits, late positional runs, and clubs gambling on traits at other spots. But the tape shows a Big 12 corner who held his own against top receivers, played through hands at the catch point, and did not wilt when targeted. For a Raiders defense trying to get stickier on the perimeter, that matters.
The room got even more competitive when Las Vegas used the 68th pick on Iowa State’s Darien Porter. A top-100 investment usually forecasts a fast track to snaps, or at least every chance to win them. Add in returning veterans and a handful of versatile safeties who can play slot, and the math turns cold for most UDFAs. Dotson’s counter? Be useful everywhere — boundary corner first, then depth at nickel and safety packages, plus special teams all day.
General manager John Spytek put the standard out there during draft weekend: “We want guys that love football and want to compete and lay it on the line.” Carroll lives on that edge. Their shared language — compete, finish, tackle, take the ball away — is the filter Dotson has to pass. Technique gets you in the conversation; mentality keeps you there when the pads come on in late July.
Carroll’s scheme history tells you what plays. He wants corners who can line up in press, bail with discipline, squeeze verticals, rally on underneath throws, and tackle without giving up yards after contact. Arm length isn’t everything, but it helps you land first contact and stay attached. Dotson’s 31.5-inch arms are right on the borderline of Carroll’s old length thresholds and still long enough to play the brand Las Vegas is pushing: disruptive at the line, clean downfield, and alert to tips and overthrows.
Here’s the real leverage point for Dotson: special teams. Roster spots 46 to 53 are won by players who cover punts, attack kickoffs, and understand leverage lanes. If he becomes a steady gunner and a reliable jammer, he’ll be hard to cut. That’s the quickest way to get a jersey on Sundays while the defensive snaps sort themselves out in September and October.
Dotson isn’t walking this path alone. Las Vegas signed a deep group of undrafted defensive backs, including USC’s John Humphrey, Arkansas’ Hudson Clark, and Jamie “Greedy” Vance Jr. They all bring something to the fight — some have nickel flexibility, some find the ball well in zone, some thrive on attitude. In a Carroll room, those edges matter. But the early read is that Dotson’s size, patience at the line, and ability to survive on the outside give him a small, real lead.
There’s also the roster math. Most teams keep five to six corners on the 53-man roster, depending on how many safeties and hybrid players they carry. An undrafted rookie at outside corner has to prove he’s not a liability if injuries hit in Week 2. That means clean transitions from press to turn-and-run, late hands without grabbing, and the confidence to tackle on the perimeter when offenses try to isolate him in space. If the staff trusts you to play 15 snaps without babysitting, you’re in the conversation for the sixth spot.
Camp will test consistency more than splash. One winning rep against a top receiver won’t mean much if the next three are flagged for contact or blown leverage. Coaches watch feet and eyes first — how you line up, how you stay square in press, and whether you can squeeze the red line on go routes. Then they look for recovery speed and ball awareness. Dotson’s college tape showed calm at the catch point. If that carries over against NFL receivers, he’s doing the hard part already.
The preseason will be his showcase. Three games, dozens of special teams snaps, and a handful of series against rosters fighting for their own livelihoods — that’s where undrafted corners make the leap. A couple of open-field tackles on kick coverage, a forced fair catch as a gunner, and a pass breakup late in the fourth quarter can flip a meeting room on Monday morning.
Versatility is the other lever. The staff has hinted they value DBs who can swing — outside corner on first down, dime safety on third-and-long, and a second slot if injuries stack up. Dotson’s frame and patience suggest he can handle outside duties first, then learn safety rules in sub-packages: stay deep-to-short, cap seams, and close air space without panicking. Even a small package of those snaps expands his value.
What could trip him up? Penalties and tackling angles. Rookie corners often learn the hard way where “handsy” becomes “flag.” The hash marks are tighter, the ball arrives faster, and quarterbacks are happy to hunt matchups they like. That’s where Carroll’s emphasis on clean technique and constant ball drills shows up. If Dotson keeps his hands quiet and wins with timing and body position, he’ll stay out of the officials’ notebooks.
There’s also the mental side. The playbook language shifts, checks move fast, and receivers sell lies with every release. Coaches bounce young corners through motion rules, switch calls, and bunch adjustments on repeat. Dotson will need to stack mistake-free walk-throughs and nail the communication piece — it’s how rookies earn veteran trust in August when reps tighten and preseason games turn into auditions for the 53.
How Dotson can stick — and the checkpoints that matter
Dotson’s to-do list is straightforward and unforgiving. He needs to show he can be counted on for core special teams, that he can survive outside against size and speed, and that he understands the leverage and tackling demands of this defense. If he does that, there’s a path to September. If he does it with force, there’s a path to playing time by midseason.
- Own the gunner job: Beat press at the line on punt team, close space without losing contain, and finish through contact. Special teams coordinators remember who creates field position.
- Press without panic: Stay square, shoot one hand not two, and transition to stack-and-squeeze without grabbing. Carroll’s staff will forgive a completed pass they can coach, not a penalty they can’t.
- Tackle and reset: Win one-on-one in space, keep shoulders clean on perimeter blocks, and pop up ready for the next snap. Missed tackles are how undrafted rookies vanish.
- Know the checks: Motions, bunch, switch releases — communicate, pass it off, and live to the next down. One coverage bust can sink a roster case.
The presence of Darien Porter raises the bar, not lowers Dotson’s chances. Competition sorts out the room faster. If Porter claims a starting role or a top backup spot, the depth chart behind him still needs players who can cover kicks and step into packages without drama. That’s where Dotson’s versatility — outside first, then spot duty inside or at safety — keeps him in meetings longer.
There’s also the practice squad safety net. Teams can carry a bigger group there and elevate players on game week a limited number of times without a full promotion. For undrafted corners, that path often becomes the on-ramp to meaningful snaps as injuries mount and matchups change. If Dotson doesn’t crack the initial 53, a strong August still puts him in Las Vegas on Wednesdays and up on Sundays when needed.
Big picture, the Raiders want more turnovers and fewer freebies. That means corners who challenge the first read, re-route with purpose, and tackle so safeties can play fast. Dotson fits the idea. Now it’s about translating college steadiness into NFL speed and doing it while sprinting down the sideline on special teams every week. If he hits those marks, he won’t be the UDFA afterthought. He’ll be the UDFA who stuck — and helped.
Training camp will provide the truth. Reps against starters, one-on-ones that get broadcast to the whole team, and preseason drives where everyone in the stadium knows the ball is coming his way. That’s where Dotson can cash in the traits: length at the line, calm at the catch point, and the kind of competitiveness Spytek demanded on draft weekend. If he keeps showing that, the Raiders’ crowded cornerback room is big enough for one more chair.
