The Las Vegas Raiders had a major decision to make when they were on the clock at No. 36 in the 2026 NFL Draft. With several great players available, John Spytek and the personnel staff almost could not go wrong with their myriad of options on the table.
Spytek has developed a reputation in just one draft as someone who likes to move back on Day 2, as he traded back twice in the second round during his inaugural draft with the Silver and Black. He netted several additional third-round picks by doing so, so it was a major win for the franchise.
And, in typical Spytek fashion, he just started off Friday of the event with a bang. The Raiders traded the No. 36 and the No. 117 picks to the Houston Texans for the No. 38 and No. 91 overall selections. It was a masterstroke by Las Vegas' young general manager, and the details of it are now final.
Raiders:
No. 38 - Treydan Stukes, DB, Arizona
No. 91 - Trey Zuhn III, OL, Texas A&M
Texans:
No. 36 - Kayden McDonald, DT, Ohio State
No. 117 - (Traded to LA Chargers - Travis Burke, OT, Memphis)
Las Vegas Raiders trade Round 2 pick and cash in to begin Day 2 of 2026 NFL Draft
Although some thought that Ohio State defensive tackle Kayden McDonald was the Raiders' target in early Round 2, they must not have felt too strongly about him. The Texans, whose interest in him felt like the worst-kept secret, moved up and took McDonald at No. 36.
Now, the Raiders didn't have to wait long until they picked again. But even better is the fact that Las Vegas got to move up 26 spots from the middle of the fourth round into the back half of Round 3. Instead of two picks on Day 2, the Raiders ended up with three, which is masterful work from Spytek.
When speaking with the media about the decision to trade back, Spytek couldn't hide how proud he was of the maneuver.
"It was a great move for us," Spytek explained. "We were pretty confident Stukes would still be there, but we had a group of players that we really liked at that spot, too. So, if for some reason he had gone, you only got to survive really two picks at that point. To move up that many spots and still get your guy, (it was) definitely worth it. Excited about it."
While McDonald is undoubtedly a great player who will thrive in that Houston defense, it is hard not to feel like the Raiders took advantage of this trade-back opportunity. Still landing an impact starter in Stukes and potentially another in Zuhn III for the price of trading back two spots is amazing.
Time will obviously tell just how much these two teams will benefit from the move. But unlike trading veteran players, this is not about "winning" the trade against the Texans. If a move benefits Las Vegas, Spytek should pull the trigger, no matter what it means for an opposing franchise.
Now, Raiders fans didn't know that the Chargers would end up in the No. 117 slot and take a promising offensive tackle like Travis Burke, but that's okay. Los Angeles doesn't need an offensive tackle right now, and they had to give up capital to move up for him anyway.
So, landing what could amount to a pair of starters for sliding back just two spots is a demonstration of a great process by Spytek and the front office. If the Raiders keep stacking moves like this, it won't be long until they are out of the NFL's cellar.
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