Quick Facts
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Nesta Jade Silvera (born January 23, 2000) is an American football defensive tackle for the Las Vegas Raiders of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Miami and Arizona State and was selected by the Raiders in the seventh round of the 2023 NFL Draft.
Early years
Silvera grew up in Pembroke Pines, Florida. He attended American Heritage School and helped them win back-to-back state championships and compile 27 straight wins. He was a consensus four-star recruit and compiled 79 tackles, 25 tackles-for-loss and 12 sacks as a senior, being named by USA Today the Florida High School Defensive Player of the Year. He was selected for the Under Armour All-America Game and was ranked by 247Sports as the 54th-best prospect nationally. Silvera committed to play college football for the Miami Hurricanes over various other offers. Silvera is of Panamanian and Jamaican descent.
College career
In his first season at Miami, Silvera appeared in 10 games and posted 13 tackles, 1.5 tackles-for-loss and a blocked punt. He missed the first four matches in 2019 due to an injury, but returned for the final nine and finished the year having totaled 19 tackles with a single sack. Silvera became a starter in 2020, appearing in 11 games, all but one of which he started, and recording 35 tackles with 8.0 tackles-for-loss, being named honorable mention all-conference. He remained a starter in 2021, tallying 38 tackles with 8.5 tackles-for-loss.
Silvera transferred to Arizona State for the 2022 season. In his only season there, he started 10 of the 12 games in which he appeared, making 56 tackles and 4.5 tackles-for-loss. He was invited to the NFL Scouting Combine after his graduation, being the only Arizona State player selected.
Professional career
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 304 lb (138 kg) | 32+7⁄8 in (0.84 m) | 9+7⁄8 in (0.25 m) | 5.16 s | 1.77 s | 2.93 s | 29.5 in (0.75 m) | 9 ft 2 in (2.79 m) | 21 reps | |||
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Silvera was selected by the Las Vegas Raiders in the seventh round (231st overall) of the 2023 NFL Draft. He made his NFL debut in Week 4 of his rookie season, posting one tackle. He was released on December 20 and re-signed to the practice squad two days later. He signed a reserve/future contract on January 8, 2024.