Raiders giving former first-round pick a chance amid injury

The Las Vegas Raiders are signing a former first-round pick for the secondary after losing Lonnie Johnson Jr. to a broken fibula on Aug. 2.

Per the Raiders, the team is signing veteran safety Terrell Edmunds to the roster ahead of their second preseason game against the San Francisco 49ers on Saturday. In a corresponding move, Las Vegas waived WR Seth Williams with an injury designation.

Edmunds is a solid signing for the secondary after losing Johnson. The Pittsburgh Steelers selected Edmunds in the first round of the 2018 draft. He's played in 101 games and started in 79 amid his time with the Steelers and stops with the Philadelphia Eagles, Tennessee Titans and Jacksonville Jaguars.

Edmunds has made 451 tackles, 17 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks, six interceptions and 28 passes defensed in his seven-year NFL career.

Edmunds started the 2024 season on the Jacksonville Jaguars' practice squad before being signed by the Steelers. He played in five games for Pittsburgh.

Per Pro Football Focus, Edmunds earned a 71.1 overall grade for his play in 2024. The 6-foot-1, 217-pounder is an ideal pickup for the Raiders in training camp to replace Johnson.

The Raiders needed depth behind Jeremy Chinn, who signed with the team in free agency in March. Johnson was expected to be Chinn's backup before he suffered an injury early in training camp. 

Edmunds never lived up to his promise as a first-round pick, but he's been a reliable defender coming off the bench and is a quality performer on special teams. He'll have a new chance on a unit that is expected to be one of the better defenses in the league in 2025.