When his playing career was over, legendary Raiders cornerback Willie Brown used to grace the stage every year during the NFL Draft. Before announcing the Silver and Black's next selection, his signature became wishing all who watched a happy early Mother's Day.
Brown's being on stage made sense, as he was a pivotal part of the team's Super Bowl XI victory. In fact, his 75-yard interception returned for a touchdown in that game was the longest in Super Bowl history for over 30 years. The irony of his constant presence at the draft, however, was that Brown never heard his name called at the event in 1963.
While he had short stints with the Houston Oilers and Denver Broncos after being an undrafted free agent, his Hall of Fame career took off when he joined the Raiders. Brown was the perfect testament to the fact that getting selected by an NFL team is not the goal, but rather, draft night marks the beginning of a long journey.
New Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Jah Joyner learned this lesson in late April when he signed with the team after surprisingly going undrafted in the 2025 NFL Draft.
On a mission to familiarize ourselves with his journey from the mid-sized New England town of Danbury, Connecticut, to the bright lights and desert landscape of Las Vegas, Nevada, Just Blog Baby conducted an exclusive interview with Joyner ahead of rookie minicamp.
'It's okay to have change'
Joyner was a four-star recruit coming out of high school and initially committed to Boston College, which was just a short day's drive from his hometown. However, after his future college coach got fired, the young edge rusher's plans got thrown for a loop.
He ended up signing his letter of intent to play for Minnesota, which is quite a bit further from home and not typically considered a powerhouse in college football. Fortunately, Joyner understood the importance of personal growth from an early age.
"I picked Minnesota because they’re a developmental program. I knew they were going to develop me from the ground up," Joyner told Just Blog Baby. "I knew I had to work my way up, just learning from the vets, learning from those guys who were there in my position room and how they ran things and how they approached it."
As an undrafted free agent with many suitors, Joyner made another surprise decision, opting to move further west when he signed with the Las Vegas Raiders. The move does not scare him, however, because he is used to this kind of decision.
"I was just talking to somebody about being from Connecticut, then going to Minnesota, and how cold those places are," said Joyner. "But, it’s okay to have change. I picked Minnesota because of change, I didn’t want to be complacent in terms of that, so it's pretty cool to go to Vegas.”
The story of how he ended up in Las Vegas, however, is not as cut-and-dry as it seems. Despite a slew of strong performances in the pre-draft process, the event came and went without Joyner being selected by any of the 32 NFL teams. While the pain of this reality was setting in for the young defensive end, he got a call that changed everything.
Hitting the jackpot
Each year, a frenzy ensues after the NFL Draft as every franchise fights for the best remaining players. Las Vegas, however, simply could not wait to get their hands on Joyner, a two-time All-Big Ten edge rusher.
“(The Raiders) actually called my agent during the draft," Joyner said. "We kinda knew where we were going in the beginning of the seventh round, so I already knew where I was going before the draft even ended."
While seeking out undrafted free agents before the end of the draft is a common practice in the NFL, it did not necessarily take away the sting that Joyner felt over the weekend.
"Obviously, going undrafted was a disappointment, in terms of just wanting to hear my name called," Joyner said. "We obviously didn’t get it done, but I was glad that the Raiders called me.”
It should come as no surprise that the Silver and Black were interested in the 6-foot-4, 262-pound Joyner, who has 34-inch arms and runs a 4.6-second 40-yard dash. After recording 12.0 sacks during his final two college campaigns, he immediately heard from some of the defensive staff in Las Vegas, and they could not have been more excited about adding him into the fold.
“I talked to (defensive line coaches Rob Leonard and Kenyon Jackson) on draft night," Joyner said. "They were fired up about me, they were surprised that I was even there and available, and surprised that I even picked them."
While Joyner's reported $150,000 guarantee upon signing is an indication of how the front office feels about him, it was not the only selling point for the Danbury native to make the trek out west.
“One of the main reasons why I picked the Raiders was obviously the culture and the head coach," Joyner admitted. "But having a chance to learn from Maxx Crosby, one of the best edge rushers in the league, pick his brain every day, see what he is doing, because obviously he is doing it right."
Crosby already reached out to Joyner after the draft to congratulate him, and now the young player will look to be a sponge for one of the NFL's most feared defenders. However, he also has another strong resource to pull from as he prepares for his first offseason at the professional level.
Lessons learned
The Minnesota football program has begun churning out NFL talent in recent seasons, as the Golden Gophers had 13 players drafted during Joyner's five-year career. Edge rusher Boye Mafe, who overlapped with Joyner for two seasons in college, was drafted in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft.
Not only was he an early selection on Day 2 of the event, but he was chosen by the Seattle Seahawks, led by then-head coach Pete Carroll. This caused Joyner to get familiar with his new coach years before he had the opportunity to play for him.
"I heard a lot of great things about (Carroll)," said Joyner. "Just seeing from afar, that Seattle (Seahawks) program and how culture is big for him, and how he focused on competing. He’s a defensive guru, he’s a defensive line guy, so it was a no-brainer, honestly, picking (the Raiders).”
While the edge rusher position is rather thin for the Silver and Black, it is always tough sledding for an undrafted rookie to make the 53-man roster. Luckily, Mafe provided his former understudy with advice on how to navigate the NFL landscape, especially when Carroll is your head coach.
“I think the biggest thing that (Mafe) told me was, ‘compete.’ (Carroll) loves when you compete," Joyner said. "(Mafe) learned the playbook so fast, and he was getting better every day and every year. So I feel like that’s the biggest thing with me: getting better every year and being consistent. Getting that trust of not only the coaches but the players as well."
Joyner is not the only former Golden Gopher joining the Silver and Black this offseason, as Las Vegas used its 11th and final pick of the draft on Minnesota linebacker Cody Lindenberg. He will be looking to compete for a spot on the Raiders' roster throughout the summer as well.
“(Lindenberg is) another reason why I picked the Raiders," Joyner said. "He is one of those players that I really, really respect his game. Probably one of the smartest players I have ever met in my life. One of the hardest workers that I’ve met, he’s probably one of the underrated linebackers in this draft. ... I’m excited to work with him.”
While Joyner certainly understands the uphill battle that he is facing, it is nothing that he has not been through before.
"I didn’t start until my last year at Minnesota, so I was definitely working my way up, and I’m gonna have to do that again with the (Las) Vegas Raiders,” Joyner noted.
Playing alongside Crosby, learning from the legendary coach Carroll and reuniting with his college teammate is a solid trio of reasons for Joyner to be excited about his first NFL experience. As for what he's looking forward to most in his rookie season, however, he has a few specific things in mind.
"I’m looking to get on the field and make havoc in that division," Joyner said. "Having the chance to sack Patrick Mahomes, that would be pretty cool, and (Justin) Herbert as well, so I’m looking forward to doing that."
It's hard to imagine Raider Nation not being fired up about a player who makes comments like these. Joyner will certainly be a name to watch this offseason, but whether he brings down a quarterback during his rookie campaign or not, the Silver and Black have a young player who strives to be a game-changer both on and off the field.
"I think the biggest thing is that you’re gonna see a smile from me," Joyner said. "I’m never down, I’m gonna be out in the community, working with those guys off the field; that’s a big part of having that camaraderie with the fans. On the field, you’re gonna see a guy that’s getting after the passer, and that’s the biggest thing that I’m gonna work to do.”
