Devin White and Eric Stokes find renewed form in the Silver and Black

Jan 01, 2026 at 10:21 AM

Levi Edwards

Digital Team Reporter

With a poetic touch, Pete Carroll used "The New Colossus" as a metaphor to describe the resurgence of Devin White and Eric Stokes this season.

The 1883 Emma Lazarus sonnet — best known for the lines etched into the Statue of Liberty's pedestal — has long symbolized America's promise to welcome the weary and offer renewal to those seeking a fresh start.

"Bring me your tired. Bring me your weak. Bring me your people, masses, or whatever it is," Carroll said.

The poem's actual phrasing, "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free," may be more precise, but Carroll's point landed all the same.

"Guys come here for a little resurrection," the head coach said. "That's a good thing."

It's clear that White and Stokes have been able to "breathe free" in the Silver and Black. Both entered the season carrying the stigma of castoffs, players viewed as past their primes or too injury‑ridden to reclaim their form. Yet the two former first‑rounders have delivered enough on the field to show there's still plenty of juice left in the tank, and that they remain valuable assets for any NFL roster.

White was on cloud nine five years ago. The fifth overall pick to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers was named a Second-Team All-Pro in his second season while propelling the team to their second Super Bowl title in franchise history. The season after that, he received his first Pro Bowl selection.

However, a combination of physical and mental setbacks followed, which led to the linebacker walking away from the team that drafted him. In 2024, he signed with the eventual Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles, only to be released midseason having not played a snap. He then wrapped up the season with the Houston Texans, playing a fraction of the snaps he once saw in Tampa. As a free agent again, it opened the door for him to reunite with John Spytek, the former Buccaneers assistant general manager, and earn his way back on the field.

"All my teammates on defense ... I know they're depending on me as well as I'm depending on them," White said. "My coach JG [John Glenn], I asked him, 'Man, just push me.' Just make me better every day, stay on my butt whether it's small details. Keep getting on to me and I'll respond in the right way. Coach [Patrick] Graham, he asks a lot of me and I deliver. I want a lot on my plate so I can eat."

White has delivered what should be considered a comeback season, breaking the franchise single-season record for most total tackles at 168 and counting. His 10 tackles for loss and 100 percent defensive snap count are also his highest since the 2020 season.

"My name will be somewhere, it will mean something to somebody," White said. "It will give somebody else something to chase and it just shows my ability. I'm just thankful for the opportunity from the Raiders organization to show what I can do. Go out there and chase the ball, be one of the one's they can count on that's going to help the team.

"It feels good being able to put it out there on tape so whoever felt like [for] whatever reasons why I couldn't do something, I'm showing them that I still can."

Stokes has also provided a lift to the Raiders defense, reviving what was a promising start to his NFL career.

As a rookie, the Green Bay Packers' 2021 first-rounder was tested in coverage frequently. He responded by leading the team in pass deflections (14) while only allowing a 49.5 completion percentage on an divisional championship-winning Packers team that finished 13-4.

While Stokes' physical traits and ability didn't diminish, staying on the field became his biggest concern. Ankle, knee and hamstring injuries forced him to miss 22 games over two seasons. By the time he got back to full strength in 2024, the Green Bay Packers declined his fifth-year option and allowed him to test free agency.

Like White, it's no secret public doubt fueled Stokes in his decision to come to Las Vegas.

"It's nothing personal, just reminding them who the f– I am," Stokes said of his goal coming into the season. "I wasn't [injury-prone] coming out. They were acting like it wasn't a major injury that I went through and had to come back from. They just forget about all that."

"It's been a stressful past four years," he added. "It's been a long four years of just working and working and praying for results. Now I'm back to feeling good, it's just about coming here day in and day out and not taking anything for granted. When you get the game taken away from you, there's a lot of little things that mean more to you."

In 2025, only missing one game due to injury, Stokes has delivered. His 56.4 completion percentage and 78.7 passer rating allowed are both his lowest totals since his rookie season.

"He's about his business," defensive coordinator Patrick Graham said. "I'm sure being on a new team, he came in with a certain focus, you have to ask him, but he's strictly business. And he's risen to the occasion in terms of when they challenge him. So, it's been good to see him grow and get into this role where there's confidence. He's healthy. It's a good thing."

In many ways, their resurgence reflects something deeper about the Raiders themselves.

The organization has historically garnered a reputation for bringing in outcasts and misfits from other teams vying for another chance to prove they belong in the NFL from Super Bowl XV MVP Jim Plunkett to 2002 NFL MVP Rich Gannon to Hall of Famer Willie Brown.

While White and Stokes aren't being vaulted into that legendary company just yet, both stand as clear examples of players who've arrived to the Raiders and found a renewed energy and purpose.

"Devin has certainly had a really productive year," Carroll said. "Really fired up about Stokes. ... This is kind of what we told him what was going to happen if he'd come with us, and he trusted us, and he had a heck of a season. And so, it's important for us to be a place where guys can show who they are and what they're all about."

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Las Vegas Raiders long snapper Jacob Bobenmoyer (50) during practice at Intermountain Health Performance Center.