Two common approaches are taken by teams in the NFL Draft: One is selecting the best player available, regardless of position, and the other is drafting prospects at a position of need to fill a hole, even if they are considered a bit of a reach. Recently, the Las Vegas Raiders haven't done either well.
Rarely have they taken the consensus best player available at a given point over the years, at least in the early rounds, and the players they selected to "fill holes" ended up being a waste of a roster spot. But the tide is turning under John Spytek, and it is quite easy to understand why.
General managers rarely, if ever, give hints about their approaches to free agency or the draft because they want to keep a competitive advantage. It is all interlinked, and these leader keeps their cards close to the vest. But Spytek just spilled some of his draft strategy.
And it confirms what Raider Nation perceived (and loved) during the 2026 NFL Draft.
Las Vegas Raiders GM John Spytek defends best player available approach in 2026 NFL Draft
When speaking during Raiders media day with Amber Theoharis, James Jones and Eric Allen, Spytek was asked about pick Nos. 36 and 67, in which Las Vegas selected safety Treydan Stukes and edge rusher Keyron Crawford, neither of whom was considered its biggest position of need.
Spytek essentially defended this by telling the panel that the Silver and Black went with a best player available approach this year, which fans will love.
"We're in the team building aspect for sure, and so you've got to piece it all together," Spytek admitted. "But I've always found that the more really good football players you have, regardless of position, the better your team's going to be because at some point, you're going to need those guys. Everyone's depth in this league gets tested at certain times. You never know when it's going to come. You don't know if it's going to be training camp, Week 2, Week 17. It comes.
"I got a chance to spend some time with the great Ron Wolf when I was in Cleveland, and he would come because he was tight with Coach [Mike] Holmgren, so he would come every year, and we got a chance to sit there and ask him questions. And I walk by his picture in the hall every day upstairs, too. He was telling us, 'Just take good football players. Don't force guys up the board. Don't force positions of need because eventually you're going to need the better football player and you're going to want the better football player.' And if you force a guy a round or two too early, then they're going to walk in the building, and you're going to go, 'Well, we took him too early cuz we needed him.' Versus just taking the good football player. And there's certainly a balance. And it's not just talent collection, either. We're not just trying to have a bunch of talented guys at one position and then be like, 'Oh, now what do we do at safety, D-line, etc.' So, there's a lot of nuances to it, but obviously, we put a process in place. We trusted our draft board."
Finally, the Raiders just care about adding talent to the roster. For years and years, they forced picks and got out over their skis trying to get players who were both good value and could help them tick off a box on their offseason checklist, and they failed. That's not how Spytek rolls, though.
As fans look at this roster, can they really argue that Las Vegas didn't need help in the secondary? That a versatile piece doesn't unlock so much that this defense can do? Can they say that the defensive end rotation was so good that they didn't need to add any other talent?
The answer to all three off those questions is undeniably no.
While some may be upset that the Raiders don't have a "prototypical No. 1 wide receiver" or a true game-changing nose tackle, they have an improved roster. And this is a rebuild, so not everything needed to be addressed this offseason. Las Vegas is playing the long game.
Good coaches are able to make it work with the talent that they have. If the team has more great tight ends than wide receivers, then run 12 and 13 personnel. If the running backs are the most talented guys on the offense, have a heavy ground attack.
If the secondary has more talent than the front seven, run more nickel and dime packages. It really is simpler, in theory, than the Raiders have made it look over the years. A lack of good coaching, poor talent evaluation and bad decision-making in the draft have plagued this franchise.
It is clear that this version of the Silver and Black has a drawn-out plan, one that isn't solely focused on this year and marries the free agency period and the draft. One that reflects the long-term goals of this organization.
"I was pretty outspoken. We had an unbelievable opportunity in front of us with the first overall pick and the amount of cap space that we had available," Spytek said. "And so we had to attack it, and we were very mindful of the kind of person we wanted to bring in. I'll keep saying that. But also to your point, too, build it for the future. And so we were very targeted in who we attacked in free agency. Younger guys, guys on second contracts, guys that can be a part of what we're trying to build here and then still be here when we reach that goal."
Adding youthful talent was Spytek's job this offseason. It is Klint Kubiak and Rob Leonard's job to maximize what they have in the building. Obviously, these parties work closely together, but their roles are distinctly different.
Spytek did his job this offseason: He added tons of young but experienced talent in free agency and paired them with a promising slate of rookies. Now, it is time for Kubiak and Leonard to get the most out of a much-improved roster, however they may see fit.
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