Former Georgia linebackers set to reunite with Raiders

Linebacker deals part of massive Raiders spending spree

The Raiders wasted no time at the start of the league's legal tampering window, filling several holes, most prominently at center, by agreeing to terms with former Baltimore Ravens center Tyler Linderbaum on a three-year, $81M pact, the largest ever for an interior lineman.

Las Vegas also agreed to terms on deals for wide receiver Jalen Nailor (three years, $35M) and defensive end Kwity Paye (three years, $48M) while retaining cornerback Eric Stokes (three years, $30M) and adding fellow corner Taron Johnson via trade from the Buffalo Bills.

The Raiders entered the offseason with the league's most cap space and worst roster, a perfect recipe for big spending. And while Linderbaum is the headliner, Dean and Walker are intriguing additions for a defense that needs an infusion of talent as it shifts to a 3-4 scheme under first-year coordinator Rob Leonard.

Dean had a breakout season in 2024 for the Philadelphia Eagles, finishing the year with 128 tackles (nine for loss), three sacks, two fumble recoveries and an interception before tearing his left patellar tendon in a wild-card win over the Green Bay Packers. He returned to play 10 games last season and had 55 tackles and a career-high four sacks.

Walker, a 2022 first-round pick (No. 22 overall) by the Packers, has notched at least 100 tackles each season and had a career-high 128 in 2025 while adding 2.5 sacks and five passes defended.

It's not a bad idea to get as many members of those Georgia defenses back together. Dean and Walker were teammates from 2019-21, during which time the Bulldogs had the top-ranked scoring defense twice (2019, 2021). They were two of nine Georgia defenders selected in the 2022 NFL Draft, with Walker being one of six first-rounders.

Las Vegas is entering a transitional period on defense after trading the unit's best player, defensive end Maxx Crosby, to the Baltimore Ravens, but getting two promising young pros to man the middle is an excellent start to the next iteration.

Things went pretty well for Dean and Walker the last time they were teammates. It can't hurt to try again.