Las Vegas Raiders

Projected Cap Space: $77 million

Draft Picks: 10

• 1st (No. 1)
• 2nd (No. 36)
• 3rd (No. 67)
• 4th (No. 102)
• 4th (No. 117, MIN)
• 4th (No. 134, comp)
• 5th (No. 174, comp)
• 6th (No. 180, NYJ)
• 6th (No. 183)
• 7th (No. 219)

Notable Free Agents: 

• CB Eric Stokes
• LB Devin White
• OL Dylan Parham 
• DE Malcolm Koonce
• K Daniel Carlson
• OL Jordan Meredith (RFA)
• LB Elandon Roberts
• DT Thomas Booker (RFA)
• QB Kenny Pickett
• WR Tyler Lockett
• LB Jamal Adams
• RB Raheem Mostert
• RB Zamir White
• TE Ian Thomas
• OT Stone Forsythe

Top Three Needs

1 – Wide Receiver

It’s fair to assume the Raiders will solve their immediate need at quarterback by using the No. 1 pick on Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza. That leaves Las Vegas to turn its attention to rebuilding the rest of the roster. There is a recent trend of teams that use the top pick on a quarterback having absolutely disastrous seasons due to how poor the rest of the roster is. The Jaguars, Panthers, Bears and Titans all fired their head coach during the rookie season of their No. 1 QB. 

Obviously new Raiders HC Klint Kubiak will be hoping to avoid that. With Mendoza, RB Ashton Jeanty and the tight end duo of Brock Bowers and Michael Mayer, he’ll have a young nucleus of promising skill position talent to work with. However, help at receiver is sorely needed. The group is headlined by Tre Tucker, Jack Bech and Dont’e Thornton at the moment. Tucker is a diminutive speedster headed into the final year of his contract and had a career-best 57 catches for 696 yards and five scores in 2025. Bech and Thornton were rookies, drafted in the second and fourth respectively, and combined for 30 catches and 359 scoreless yards. 

Teams like for young skill position players to be able to grow up together, but in this case, there’s a strong argument that the Raiders need to add some proven contributors to ensure the floor for the offense is at a certain level. 

2 – Offensive Line

One of the selling points for the Raiders with Kubiak as a coaching candidate was how he was able to elevate the offensive line at his last two coaching stops. The 2024 Saints and 2025 Seahawks entered each season with major questions about the front five. Neither finished the year regarded as a top group but the results were at least functional. The 2025 Raiders would have killed to be just “functional” along the offensive line. 

Kubiak’s wide zone scheme helps make life easier for his linemen but it also means prioritizing certain skillsets over others. Raiders LT Kolton Miller and OL Jackson Powers-Johnson should be good fits, but DJ Glaze won’t be a fit at tackle. Last year’s third-rounders Charles Grant and Caleb Rogers will get the chance to compete for roles, but the Raiders could lose either or both of Parham and Meredith to free agency.

Of the two, Parham would probably be the bigger priority to keep, and the Raiders aren’t short on cash. It will likely depend on how the new coaching staff assesses his fit. The Raiders are in an interesting spot because they should be able to upgrade the offensive line simply by getting more out of the current depth chart from Kubiak’s system, but there’s also clearly room to upgrade. It feels like at least two major additions are in store here. 

3 – Cornerback

If the Raiders end up trading DE Maxx Crosby, which feels like it leans more likely than not as things sit right now, the defensive line would shoot up the list of needs. Crosby makes the front go and with Koonce also scheduled to be a free agent, the Raiders would be in the running for the worst front four in football without him. 

They need plenty of help on the back end of their defense, too, though. Stokes is a pending free agent after a solid season, and the former first-round pick will have no shortage of suitors. He might find more attractive landing spots than Las Vegas. Even if he’s brought back, the Raiders have major question marks at the other two corner spots. Third-rounder Darien Porter played over half the snaps but would be a question mark as a full-time starter still. The team needs help in the nickel, too. 

One Big Question

Can the Raiders get back on track? 

When it comes to preseason expectations for the Raiders, there shouldn’t be more than moderate pressure on Las Vegas. Last year, it was clear the team was beginning a rebuild that would take multiple seasons, even if the coaching staff wasn’t on the same page with the front office about that. The Raiders were generally expected to be frisky and competitive, but still finish somewhere in the six to eight-win range. 

That’s why ending up with the league’s last-ranked offense and the No. 1 pick forced another reset from owners Mark Davis and Tom Brady. This year, the expectations will be even lower. I’m sure Davis and Brady have hopes and dreams of being the latest worst-to-first turnaround like the Patriots in 2025. Failing to reach that high bar shouldn’t have major consequences, however. 

The Raiders just have to show a positive trajectory with Kubiak, Mendoza and the other young players on the roster. Forget wins (though obviously a winless season wouldn’t be good). If Mendoza looks promising and the vibes around the offense are good, the Raiders could lose double-digit games again and it would still feel markedly different than it has around the franchise in a long time.