The Las Vegas Raiders made a rapid transition this offseason as they are now ready to compete in an AFC West that they went winless in a season ago. This is the result of upgrading the three most important positions in the organization: The quarterback, general manager and head coach.
Geno Smith, John Spytek and Pete Carroll are now leading the charge for a Raiders team that looks to make the postseason in a loaded AFC. They began this journey with an overhaul in free agency and adding 11 prospects in the 2025 NFL Draft, as well as another 15 or so as undrafted free agents.
Building a team through the draft will always be the surest way to have success in the NFL, and both Spytek and Carroll seem dead set on this approach. While this year's draft was certainly pivotal for the future of the franchise, finding success in the 2026 draft may be even more important.
Raiders turn new leaf in 2026 NFL Mock Draft
A recent 2026 mock draft by Pro Football & Sports Network had the Raiders make three intriguing picks in the first three rounds. Not only would these selections provide help at positions of need for the future, but they would signify a completely new era being underway in Las Vegas.
In the first round of this projection, the Raiders chose Penn State offensive tackle Drew Shelton with the No. 9 overall pick. This selection would almost certainly indicate that the Silver and Black had moved on from starting left tackle Kolton Miller, one of the last Oakland Raiders on the roster.
"Drew Shelton is one of the most underrated prospects in this class and will be a more prominent name after this college football season. The Penn State left tackle is an easy mover with an anchor to become a stalwart on the Las Vegas Raiders’ offensive line," Pro Football & Sports Network wrote.
RELATED: Raiders take (another) chance at adding Maxx Crosby running mate in 2026 mock
Rounds two and three saw Las Vegas select Patrick Payton, an edge rusher from LSU, and Eli Holstein, a quarterback from Pittsburgh. Using premier capital on a player like Payton would mean the team either did not re-sign Malcolm Koonce, or they have all but moved on from Tyree Wilson.
The selection of Holstein would not necessarily mean a changing of the guard, as the new regime brought in Smith this offseason to be the team's starting quarterback for a few seasons. However, any time a franchise selects a young QB in the early rounds, there is an expectation he'll eventually become a marquee player for the team.
Obviously, an entire season and a free agency period still need to happen before next year's draft. But if Spytek and Carroll invested in these three key positions in 2026, the writing could be on the wall for a few key holdovers from the Raiders' previous regimes.