Last week, the Las Vegas Raiders suffered their first loss of the season in a tight battle with the Kansas City Chiefs for the top spot in the AFC West. Even in defeat, the Silver and Black may have earned some respect as a team to watch for the rest of the 2026 NFL season.
In Week 3, the Raiders capitalized on the New Orleans Saints' turnovers to pull off a fourth-quarter comeback. Last week, they turned the ball over and didn't take it away, which shifted the game's momentum in Kansas City's favor.
In our Week 5 stock report on the 2026 free-agent class, let's look at who performed well and who will dread watching the film this week.
Raiders had a bright spot on the interior of the offensive line, but a couple of veterans no-showed or made a critical error
LG Spencer Burford: Stock Up
Spencer Burford had a rough start to the season with his pass-blocking sets. According to Pro Football Focus, he allowed 13 pressures between Weeks 1 and 3, but he only allowed one against the Chiefs.
Quarterback Kirk Cousins didn't take a sack, but PFF charted pressure on 21 of his dropbacks, mostly coming from the left side, where Kolton Miller (six) lines up, and the right interior, where Caleb Rogers (five) filled in for Jackson Powers-Johnson.
Aside from center Tyler Linderbaum, you can make the case that Burford had the best outing of any Raiders offensive lineman last Sunday.
DL Kwity Paye: Stock Down
Despite a favorable matchup on the edge, Kwity Paye was a non-factor against the Chiefs. In 35 defensive snaps, he didn't record a tackle or a pressure. He was completely shut out by an undrafted free agent rookie.
Since coming out of Michigan in 2021, Paye has been an average pass-rusher, though he's a well-rounded defensive lineman who can play multiple positions and slow down the run. We didn't see that last Sunday. Kenneth Walker III ran for a career-high 177 yards and two touchdowns.
Paye hasn't logged a sack since the season opener and last recorded a quarterback hit in Week 2. The Raiders need him to show up against the run and be more consistent on passing downs.
WR/KR Dareke Young: Stock Down
Dareke Young's fumble on a kickoff return changed the momentum of the game.
Down four late in the fourth quarter, Las Vegas looked to answer Walker III's first score, but Young fumbled deep in the Silver and Black's territory, allowing Kansas City to capitalize on a short field with another touchdown run.
The Raiders could've milked the clock to score on a potential go-ahead drive, giving the Chiefs little time to respond, but instead, they had to speed up their process while suddenly down 11 with three minutes left in regulation.
Oftentimes, teams don't lose because of one player or play, but it's a game of inches, and it only takes one crucial error to fall out of reach.
Young is a fifth-year veteran who returned kicks with the Seattle Seahawks last year. Before last Sunday, he hadn't fumbled. So, don't expect head coach Klint Kubiak to make any drastic changes in that role unless it becomes a pattern. But he was a letdown on Sunday.
Moe Moton writes about the Raiders for Just Blog Baby. You can follow him on Twitter at @MoeMoton.
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