Former Broncos undrafted steal has huge game...for the Raiders

You're never going to bat 1.000 as a general manager/head coach in the NFL when it comes to keeping and cutting the right guys from your roster. As Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton has noted on multiple occasions over the last two years, you want to make sure you don't have players in your camp who end up getting cut and having success somewhere else.

Not because you don't want them to be successful, but because if they leave and find success, you're left wondering, what did we miss?

That might end up being the case with former Broncos undrafted free agent Tyreik McAllister, who originally signed with Denver after the 2022 NFL Draft. McAllister spent time with the Broncos both in 2022 and 2023 as a member of their practice squad and offseason roster, but he never made it to the regular season roster with Denver. He actually spent some time last year in the CFL with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats where he was surprisingly listed as a wide receiver, not running back.

And that's where he's listed now as a member of the...Las Vegas Raiders?

I knew I recognized the name when I was watching the Raiders-49ers preseason game highlights and started seeing this guy make plays.

Former Broncos UDFA Tyreik McAllister just made the Raiders roster

How do you make a roster in the NFL preseason? Well, you have to make everything you bring to the table a non-negotiable for the team you're trying to impress. McAllister definitely did that as a member of the Raiders this preseason, but he may have saved his best for last. The adjustment he makes on the touchdown catch there against the 49ers is impressive, but he wasn't limited to just making plays on offense, either.

McAllister had himself a night, returning a punt 81 yards for a touchdown as well.

McAllister averaged over 37 yards per punt return in the preseason and 29 yards per kickoff return, proving his worth on special teams while also flashing his potential offensively. It's tough to really criticize the Broncos for letting go of McAllister considering the fact that he wasn't being cross-trained as a wide receiver as far as we knew at the time.

Not only that, but the NFL's new kickoff return format didn't exist as of last year. It's easy to feel like the Broncos just whiffed on a player evaluation here (even though they were the team that originally signed him as an undrafted player), but sometimes timing and situation are just everything for a player.

If his preseason with the Raiders didn't lock up a roster spot in Las Vegas, he's undoubtedly going to get plucked away by some other team.