Raiders Sign Niklas Henning After Second-Overall CFL Draft Pick
Niklas Henning raiders sign niklas henning after the Canadian offensive lineman agreed to an NFL contract with Las Vegas, giving him an immediate pro-football jump only days after he was drafted second overall in the 2026 CFL Draft. He will not attend the Indianapolis Colts rookie mini-camp that was scheduled for May 7 to May 10.
Henning Joins Las Vegas
Henning took part in the Raiders' rookie mini-camp from May 1 to May 3 before landing the contract. The move shifts him fully into Las Vegas' offseason program, where the Raiders have organized team activities throughout May and into June and a mandatory mini-camp from June 6 through 11.
The timing is the sharp part of this story. Toronto picked him second overall on April 28 in the 2026 CFL Draft, and the Argonauts own his CFL rights in perpetuity. For a player already taken that high in Canada, signing in Las Vegas changes the path immediately while leaving Toronto's rights intact on paper.
Toronto Holds His CFL Rights
Henning's rise did not happen overnight. He was a six-foot-six, 298-pound lineman who was named a first-team Ontario University Athletics conference all-star and second-team All-Canadian in 2025 after helping Queen's University win the 117th Yates Cup. A year earlier, he was auditioning for CFL teams at the U Sports East-West Bowl as a tight end.
His profile at the 2026 CFL Combine also drew attention. He ran a 4.90-second 40-yard dash, a 4.82-second short shuttle and a 7.77 three-cone drill, then added a 31.5-inch vertical jump, a nine-foot, six-inch broad jump and 27 bench press repetitions at 225 pounds.
Queen's To NFL Path
Henning's college production showed a different side of his game before the switch to right tackle. In 2023, he recorded seven receptions for 104 yards and one touchdown, then embraced the move to the right side after talks with Queen's coaching staff.
That route now leads to Las Vegas, at least for this spring. The Raiders have him in their building and on their offseason schedule, while the Colts minicamp he was set to attend next week is no longer part of the plan.
