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The Las Vegas Raiders waived former first-round pick Alex Leatherwood ahead of the NFL cut deadline, per Adam Schefter. Leatherwood was a highly-touted offensive tackle coming out of college. But he never panned out in Las Vegas.
For the Raiders, cutting former first-rounders as unfortunately become a trend as of late. According to Ari Meirov, the Raiders have cut or declined 6 first-round picks since 2019. It should be noted that Henry Ruggs II was obviously cut for other reasons. But other first-rounders who did not pan out include Damon Arnette, Clelin Ferrell, Josh Jacobs, and Johnathan Abram.
Las Vegas needs to reevaluate their drafting department. They could have been perennial Super Bowl contenders by now if those first-rounders had panned out.
But Alex Leatherwood's situation is especially disappointing. The Raiders felt as if they made a safe draft pick by selecting the offensive lineman out of Alabama with the 17th overall pick in 2021. He enjoyed a tremendous college career with the Crimson Tide. And many felt as if he was well on his way to a successful NFL career.
Leatherwood is still only 23 years old and could turn things around. Teams are always in search of offensive line help so he is someone who will likely draw interest. Establish the Run's Brandon Thorn named the New Orleans Saints, Green Bay Packers, Philadelphia Eagles, Cleveland Browns, Kansas City Chiefs, and Los Angeles Chargers as potential landing spots.
The Raiders decision to cut Leatherwood is not a total surprise. Reports surfaced last week that Las Vegas may have interest in trading or releasing him ahead of the season. But after struggling to find a clear spot on the team, the Raiders did indeed end up cutting the former first-round pick.