The Las Vegas Raiders entered the 2025 NFL season with the expectation that they would be at least competitive. After hiring veteran head coach Pete Carroll, competition throughout the roster was the theme he stressed all offseason.
Instead, the team sputtered to a 3-14 record that was tied for the worst mark in the league. Making matters worse, they were hardly competitive, as nine of their losses came by at least two scores, with seven of those coming by 17 or more points.
Carroll, who was viewed as a defensive back guru during his time leading the Seattle Seahawks, was unable to get much production from Las Vegas' secondary, either. But one draft expert praised just John Spytek for doing a tremendous job addressing that weakness in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Las Vegas Raiders' GM John Spytek receives praise for fixing the secondary in his second offseason
Las Vegas entered the offseason with holes in nearly every position room. Spytek did a magnificent job at addressing those issues during free agency, but their only upgrade to the secondary came via a trade for former All-Pro nickelback Taron Johnson.
But they prioritized the secondary during the draft, adding Treydan Stukes, Jermod McCoy, Dalton Johnson, and Hezekiah Masses. ESPN's Matt Miller labeled the Raiders' draft class as his favorite in 2026, citing the improvements made to the secondary as the key reason why he felt that way.
"Sure, it's easy to nail the draft when you have the No. 1 overall pick, and that plays into this, but I loved how the Raiders addressed needs in their secondary with McCoy, Treydan Stukes, Dalton Johnson and Hezekiah Masses. The secondary has long been an issue, and John Spytek aggressively tried to fix it."
All of a sudden, the unit, which was a major weakness last season, looks like it could be a strength of the team. Kyu Blu Kelly and Isaiah Pola-Mao, who dominated the snapshare at corner and free safety, respectively, have been replaced with high upside players who can make a more positive impact.
Additionally, Eric Stokes, Jeremy Chinn, and Darien Porter, all of whom played relatively well in 2025, will be back with the team. The new additions will give returning defensive backs coach Joe Woods far more talent to work with than he had last season.
Of course, Carroll was the one expected to get the most out of Las Vegas' secondary, as that had been his calling card earlier in his career. While things did not play out that way, it is easy to see why Spytek is receiving credit for being aggressive in an attempt to actually fix that issue this offseason.
If healthy, McCoy, who was viewed as a top-ten talent, could wind up being the steal of the draft. Meanwhile, Stukes should have an immediate role in the secondary, while Johnson and Masses could compete for playing time right away and be key rotational pieces.
As things stand, the Raiders, on paper, have a far better roster than the one they fielded a season ago. While fans are still patiently waiting for the results to translate to gameday, it is great to see Las Vegas finally getting praise for its work in the draft. And for doing what Carroll was supposed to do.
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