The Las Vegas Raiders signed Benito Jones to the roster this week and cut Brodric Martin to make room. The move gives the Raiders another body up front as they prepare to run a 3-4 base defense under new defensive coordinator Rob Leonard.
Jones, 335 pounds, entered the league in 2020 as an undrafted free agent with the Miami Dolphins and later developed into a starter with the Detroit Lions. Over the last three years, he started 38 games between Miami and Detroit, with 10 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks on his career ledger. For a Raiders team that had not done much to address nose tackle in free agency or the draft, the signing fills a clear need with a player built for interior work.
The connection to Leonard is direct. Leonard was on the Dolphins staff as assistant defensive line coach when Jones first arrived in Miami, giving the coach a built-in familiarity with what the veteran lineman can do in a front that asks the nose tackle to absorb blocks and keep linebackers clean. That matters now because the Raiders are turning to a scheme that puts more emphasis on size and leverage in the middle, and Jones fits that profile better than a lighter, more penetrating tackle.
Martin’s exit underscores how quickly the depth chart changed. A former third-round pick and a former teammate of Jones with the Lions, Martin joined the Raiders last season but could not get on the field. Las Vegas had already added another interior option in Brandon Cleveland, a 7th-round draft pick, 6'3 and 307 pounds, who was a two-year starter at NC State. Cleveland posted 7 tackles for loss this year and 10 over the last two seasons, numbers that point to a player who can hold the point of attack and still create disruption.
The broader picture is simple: the Raiders are assembling a defensive front with more mass, more familiarity and more flexibility for Leonard’s plan. Jones gives them a proven 335-pound presence in the middle, while Cleveland offers a younger option with production. The real test now is whether the group can turn that added size into a defense that can hold up against the run when the season starts.
