As the 2026 NFL Combine gets underway in Indianapolis, the Las Vegas Raiders are searching for a specific breed of chaos to add to their defensive front.
With Maxx Crosby remaining the standard-bearer for relentless effort, the Raiders' front office is hunting for a prototype that mirrors that same non-stop motor.
For a team that values versatile athletes with a chip on their shoulder, the search has led directly to a former wide receiver turned SEC standout edge rusher.
The Target: George Gumbs Jr., EDGE, Florida
If you were to draft a player who embodies physical, unapologetic, and possessed by a relentless work ethic style of play, it would be Gumbs Jr. At 6-foot-4, 245 lbs with 33 5'8' on the arm (verified measurements), Gumbs is a fascinating position-switch success story who transformed from a 210-pound walk-on wideout at Northern Illinois into a premier SEC edge rusher.
- The Fit: Gumbs is the definition of a high-ceiling developmental piece. In 2024, he led Florida's edge rushers in snaps, and before a knee injury cut his 2025 season short, he was a consistent force off the edge, totaling 31 tackles and 6.5 tackles-for-loss in just 10 games. For the Raiders, Gumbs offers the athletic versatility to slide into sub-packages as a stand-up rusher or a traditional end. His history of position-switching suggests he hasn't even touched his ceiling yet.
- The Connection to Crosby: The Raiders love high motor players, and Gumbs gained notoriety for his intensity -- specifically his viral flag planting incident against Florida State -- that mirrors the edge Crosby brings to every snap. With Malcolm Koonce hitting free agency and Tyree Wilson still finding his consistent footing, Gumbs provides the Raiders with a Day 3 gamble who has the special teams versatility and pass-rush twitch to stick on the roster immediately.
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Why the Combine Matters
For Gumbs, the medical checks are arguably more important than the 40-yard dash following his 2025 surgery. However, on the field, scouts will be hyper-focused on his explosiveness metrics in the broad jump and vertical leap.
Because he is a lighter edge defender, he has to prove he possesses the lower-body explosion to beat tackles off the jump. If he clocks in the 4.7s for his 40-yard dash and shows a sticky type of agility in the bag drills, he becomes an ideal low-risk, high-reward target for a Raiders defense that needs more talent up front.