He was signed as an undrafted free agent following the 2019 NFL draft by the Las Vegas Raiders.
[1] Cotton chose Alabama over scholarship offers from Auburn, USC, Mississippi State and Ole Miss.
[1] Against Kent State he came off the bench to play 25 snaps and helped the Tide rush for 285 yards.
[1] Against Florida State Cotton helped make holes for 173 rushing yards in a 24–7 win over the No.
[1] When the Tide played Fresno State he had one knockdown block in 44 snaps in a win over the Bulldogs.
[1] He started and played 55 snaps as the Crimson Tide beat the Ole Miss Rebels 66–3.
[1] Against Clemson he played 57 snaps in the Tide's 24–6 win in the Sugar Bowl before a knee injury forced him out of the game.
[1] Cotton came off the bench in relief of Deonte Brown to play 39 snaps in the SEC Championship Game.
He returned to the starting lineup against Oklahoma and provided time for 528 yards of total offense.
[11][12] On August 31, 2021, Cotton was waived by the Raiders and re-signed to the practice squad the next day.
[13][14] After the Raiders were eliminated in the 2021 Wild Card round of the playoffs, he signed a reserve/future contract on January 17, 2022.
[15] Cotton made the Raiders final roster in 2022 as a backup interior lineman.
[19] On November 26, 2024, the Patriots claimed G Lester Cotton off waivers from the Miami Dolphins.