Things were a bit different during the 2026 NFL Draft for young general manager John Spytek than they were a year ago. Not only did he have the advantage of knowing who he'd select before the festivities even began, but the entire process leading up to the event was different as well.
Since last year's draft, Spytek has added great executives like Brian Stark, Brandon Hunt and Anthony Patch to assist him, and he now gets to work with a head coach in Klint Kubiak who wanted to have a shared vision. Spytek didn't have any of that in his first go-around with the Silver and Black.
And while Spytek did just fine on his own, he acknowledged that he should have leaned on those around him more. Well, whatever Spytek did this year, he needs to keep doing. His second draft in Las Vegas has the NFL world buzzing, and they're all saying the same thing: This is a heck of a draft class.
Perception of John Spytek's second Las Vegas Raiders draft class is unanimously positive
Fernando Mendoza is the obvious headliner, but the Raiders found studs throughout the seven rounds. Treydan Stukes and Trey Zuhn III can be Day 1 starters, Keyron Crawford, and Mike Washington Jr. should have roles, and if healthy, Jermod McCoy should be a superstar.
Other great depth pieces or projects like Dalton Johnson, Zeke Masses, Malik Benson and Brandon Cleveland rounded out the 10-man class. And you'd be hard-pressed to find anyone who thinks this three-day event wasn't a massive success for the Raiders.
Sports Illustrated was practically the lone detractor, as they graded Las Vegas' haul as a B, which isn't even that bad, considering they only gave out seven As. So the Raiders still made out nicely compared to their peers. Underdog's Hayden Winks, however, gave the Silver and Black an A.
Winks wasn't the only one, though, as CBS Sports, TheScore and USA Today gave Las Vegas the same grade, Pro Football Focus gave them an A-, and Yahoo! Sports declared the Raiders as the biggest winner of the event, according to Nick Walters. That is a lot of praise.
Jon Ledyard, a renowned draft analyst, included Las Vegas on his short list of his four favorite draft classes this year. Bryce DeGroat had them in his top 3. Even Dallas Cowboys reporter Nick Harris conceded that the Raiders had his favorite draft class in the entire NFL this year.
Underdog's Josh Norris said simply that it was a "sick draft by the Raiders." The Athletic's Dane Brugler, who is known for creating "The Beast," the most comprehensive NFL Draft guide, asked "Is it okay to be excited about the Raiders? LOVE what they're doing in this draft class."
After selecting McCoy in the fourth round, which some thought was the steal of the draft, ESPN's Matt Miller took a minute to shout out the Silver and Black:
"The Raiders continue to crush this draft. So happy for Jermod McCoy."ESPN's Matt Miller
From the ESPN broadcast, Miller, Field Yates, Louis Riddick, and Mel Kiper Jr. all heaped praise on Spytek and his selections throughout the event (h/t Nick Walters, again).
"This is one of the best drafts I've seen this year," Miller said. "It's easy to do that when you have the No. 1 pick, but they're doing it consistently in every round. Jermod McCoy was the top corner in this draft for me. If he can get on the field... he is an absolute star, an All-Pro caliber corner... (Treydan) Stukes and (Dalton) Johnson are such great athletes."
"The only team that has five of my top-100 players in this draft: Las Vegas Raiders. Six of my top 109," Yates noted. "The difference between this version of the Raiders and what we've seen in different years and administrations is the alignment being much more connected now... I like the initial outlook for Fernando Mendoza and this offense."
"You got pieces around the QB," Kiper Jr. explained. "You add Mike Washington Jr. to Ashton Jeanty. You got Brock Bowers and Michael Mayer. You added Jalen Nailor. Glaze can come through at right tackle. Defensively you added pieces. Watch out. Once Mendoza figures it out, it's not going to take him long to crack the code. ... Once Mendoza establishes himself, they're off to the races. This team is being built to win."
"I personally think it's incredible," Riddick said of the Raiders' draft class. "Malik Benson played big-time football for Oregon down the stretch. ... ripping good defenses. That's how you maximize value at every part of the draft. ... Develop and implement these guys on the field so you get tangible results. But as far as the GM is concerned, John can sit back and say, 'I did what I had to do.'"
Is that enough praise for one guy and his draft class for one article? I could go on forever, as praise for the Raiders' selections are lurking behind every corner. While they still have to prove it on the field, it's hard not to get excited about the consensus being that the Raiders knocked it out of the park.
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