On pure speed alone, no other wide receiver on the roster can approach what Shedrick Jackson brings to the table in that regard.
Blazing to a 4.25-second 40-yard dash time at the Auburn Pro Day as Jackson prepped for the 2023 NFL Draft, that kind of scintillating speed is a familial trait, as his great uncle and fellow Auburn and Raider product Bo Jackson was even more fleet of foot.
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In comparison to other Las Vegas Raiders wideouts, Dont’e Thornton Jr. (second year, 4.30 40-time at the NFL Combine), veteran Phillip Dorsett (eighth year, 4.33 40 at the combine), rookie Malik Benson (4.37 40 at the combine), undrafted rookie Jonathan Brady (4.39 40 at Indiana’s Pro Day), and Tre Tucker (fourth year, 4.40 40 at the combine) are the other blazers on the current 90-man squad.
Being fast is great. But it won’t be the sole determining factor for Jackson’s roster chances under a new head coach in Klint Kubiak. Especially with others having jets, albeit not the same realm as Jackson. The Auburn product did have flashes last season in minimal offensive work (22 total snaps on offense in 2025) and is providing fleeting moments of impressiveness in the Raiders first mandatory minicamp session this past Tuesday.
By The Numbers
Shedrick Jackson, Wide Receiver
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2025: 5 games (zero starts), 5 targets, 4 receptions, 56 yards, 1 touchdown; 1 carry, 3 yards.
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Career: (2023-25), 10 games (zero starts), 6 targets, 4 receptions, 56 yards, 1 touchdown; 1 carry, 3 yards
But ensuring those aren’t flukes is key. Which makes the third-year undrafted free agents quest to land on the 53-man roster a steep uphill climb.
Jackson spent six seasons with Auburn (2018-22) with the 2021 season being the most productive: In 13 games totaling 40 receptions for 527 yards and one touchdown. In total, the Alabama native saw action in 53 games netting 66 receptions for 874 yards and one touchdown, alongside one carry and rushing for 12 yards. Not surprisingly, Jackson went undrafted and signed with the Cincinnati Bengals.
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After yo-yoing with on and off the Bengals active roster and practice squad his rookie season, Jackson was outright releasd in September of 2024 and the Raiders scooped him up in late December of that year before inking a reserve/future contract for the 2025 season.
Once again, Jackson played the active/practice squad shell game but did haul in his first-career touchdown catch — a 25-yard dart from then-quarterback Kenny Pickett — in a Week 14 24-17 loss to the Denver Broncos. This offseason, the 6-foot-1 and 198-pound 26-year-old is one of 12 wide receivers vying for not only a 53-man roster spot, but also practice squad considerations.
However, Raiders wide receiver coach Zach Azzanni stressed last week, at this point in time, there are no established roles at the position group and it’s a wide open competition. Let’s quickly take a look at projected starters: Tucker, Jalen Nailor, Jack Bech. Behind that group are most likely Benson, Thornton Jr., and Dareke Young.
From a size/speed perspective, Jackson is an intriguing talent. But ditto for Thornton Jr., who is a freakish 6-foot-5, 205 pounds, with 4.30 speed. That noted, Thornton, the Raiders’ fourth-round pick (108th overall) in the 2025 draft didn’t play a lick on special teams — zero snaps as a rookie, in fact.
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That’s where Jackson’s opening is. But he’s got strong competition in that regard.
Young, a free agent addition from the Seattle Seahawks, brings familiarity with Kubiak and special teams prowess. And that’s likely where the fifth or sixth wide receiver on the depth chart will primarily play: Special teams coordinator Joe DeCamillis’ groups.
Young brings the imposing size (6-foot-2 and 224 pounds) and speed (4.44 40-yard dash) alongside tackling ability that made him an elite gunner during his time with the Seahawks. He also showed he can be an effective kick returner when given opportunities (10 returns for 322 yards including a long return of 60 yards) and it’s that high football IQ and versatility that makes him an ideal addition to the special teams unit — a group looking to rebound after a terrible overall performance that saw former coordinator Tom McMahon fired in-season last year.
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A core special teams role is Jackson’s cleanest path to a 53-man roster spot and he’ll have to likely showcase he’s a better option in that regard than Young.
Jackson, who is a year younger than Young, is no stranger to special teams work logging 38 snaps with Cincinnati in 2023 and 39 this past season with Las Vegas. But when compared to Young, a fifth-year veteran, the participation rate is paltry as the Raiders’ offseason addition logged 156 special teams snaps with the Seahawks and 697 total in the four seasons in the Pacific Northwest.
Jackson must out-work and shine brighter than Young and others to become indispensable in DeCamillis’ eyes as a member of coverage units. Like Young, Jackson brings plenty of size and speed to the table as a gunner. It’d also be in Jackson’s best interest to get as many reps as kick and punt returner — two groups Las Vegas needs to elevate. Showcasing the speed and vision as a return man increases roster hopeful’s chances of earning a roster nod.
Making the roster decision makers, be it Kubiak or general manager John Spytek, life difficult by having to choose hard cuts is what the NFL offseason is about, though. It’s those easy cuts when teams go from 90-man rosters to the regular season 53 where decision makers don’t bat an eye.
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And how hard of a decision it is to keep or get rid of him is on Jackson’s shoulders.
