It is much easier said than done to build a team through the NFL Draft. But the Las Vegas Raiders have been attempting to do so ever since general manager John Spytek got to town. Through two seasons, the organization has added promising pieces, but they still need to prove themselves.
While the majority last year's rookie class is effectively in their first season again, given the limited chances that Pete Carroll's staff provided to them, the 2026 draft class will also be vying for playing time early in their careers. It's hard to predict exactly who will emerge from this young crop of players.
But after making some initial projections before training camp and monitoring the rookie stock report throughout the preseason, a clearer picture has been painted for how things may go in Las Vegas. Here's our prediction for how much each of the Raiders' drafted rookies will play this fall and winter.
Predicting how much Las Vegas Raiders' rookie class plays in 2026
Fernando Mendoza, QB
Kirk Cousins is the starting quarterback in Las Vegas, but for how long is the question on everyone's mind. While Cousins may be solid enough to keep the offense afloat, I don't think the early returns for the Raiders will be good enough to keep the young player off the field for very long.
Mendoza wasn't perfect during the preseason, but he showed that he's the franchise player, and if anything goes wrong in 2026, he's the ultimate ace in the hole. By at least the halfway point in the year, I think Mendoza has taken over, and he'll start at least half of the games. Maybe even more.
Prediction: Mendoza starts over half of the Raiders' games.
Treydan Stukes, SAF
He just looked comfortable and effective during the preseason, and unless he gets hurt or plays way worse than anyone expects, Stukes should be a focal point in the secondary. Although the exact rotation remains to be seen, Stukes can be a full-time starter and play most of the defensive snaps.
Prediction: Stukes starts all 17 games and plays over 80% of the snaps.
Keyron Crawford, DE
Just as Crawford was starting to put it together, he went down with a season-ending Achilles injury during the final exhibition game. Of course, he won't play at all this preseason, but look for the ultra-motivated young player to come back quickly and as an even better version of himself for 2027.
Prediction: N/A
Trey Zuhn III, OL
Nobody knows exactly where Zuhn III will be slotted in by the Raiders' coaching staff, but perhaps that is the beauty of him. The rookie can essentially play all five spots on the offensive line, which puts him in a good spot to play a bit as the next man in line, given how often injuries plague the trenches.
Zuhn III should be on the field goal and extra point teams at the very least, so he'll get a good amount of special teams snaps (if the offense is good). But I also think, either due to ailments or players not meeting expectations, Zuhn III will be called upon to start a handful of games in 2026.
Prediction: Zuhn III starts 5 games and plays 50+ snaps on special teams.
Jermod McCoy, CB
A distinction needs to be made between how talented McCoy is and what exactly he's put on tape at the NFL level so far. This is a future shutdown cornerbacker, but right now, I just don't think he'll play that big a role on the Raiders' defense until he shows more confidence or glimpses of his college self.
McCoy should rotate in on occasion, and it is entirely possible that he carves out a bigger role with his performance in limited action. But based on what fans have seen so far, it's more likely that he gets his feet wet and his self-assurance back with special teams reps and occasional snaps at corner.
Prediction: McCoy plays under 250 defensive snaps and over 250 special teams snaps.
Mike Washington Jr., RB
Washington Jr. was the most pleasant surprise of the offseason, as he truly emerged as the "1B" to Ashton Jeanty's "1A." And while Klint Kubiak will want his workhorse back on the field as much as possible, as Jeanty is still young and needs development, Washington Jr. should be a big factor.
Obviously, in the early going, Washington Jr. should play a hefty snap share with Jeanty either out or slowly returning from injury. But in all, it seems like the rookie fourth-rounder is poised not quite for a 50-50 split in the backfield, but Washington Jr. should siphon quite a few snaps from Jeanty.
Prediction: Washington Jr. plays over 35% of the Raiders' offensive snaps.
Dalton Johnson, SAF
Johnson had some really promising moments during the preseason, but it's hard to see him playing a big role this year on defense. The expectation should be that he gets tons of reps on special teams, though, and he'll make a sizeable impact in Las Vegas that way in 2026.
Prediction: Johnson plays fewer than 50 defensive snaps, but over 300 special teams snaps.
Zeke Masses, CB
Masses is still technically in contention for a starting cornerback role, but it seems like Darien Porter has the upper hand. Either way, the Day 3 rookie should still be a staple in the Raiders' secondary, as he more than earned that during training camp and in the preseason.
Getting the starting nod at cornerback isn't always as important as playing more snaps, but I could envision a world where Masses gets several chances to start on the boundary and he ends up practically splitting the second cornerback role with Porter as Las Vegas sorts things out.
Prediction: Masses starts at least 6 games and playing close to 50% of defensive snaps.
Malik Benson, WR
Benson's play was one of the most exciting parts about training camp, but unfortunately, one of the most disappointing parts of the preseason. The Raiders clearly aren't happy with how their wide receiver corps is playing, and I think the personnel groupings in the regular season will reflect this.
With potentially very few opportunities on offense, and Benson pigeonholed as a returner on special teams, it stands to reason that fans may not see a whole lot of him this season, unless something changes. And while that's a bit of a letdown, it's not uncommon for a rookie sixth-rounder.
Prediction: Benson plays fewer than 250 offensive snaps and fewer than 100 on special teams.
Brandon Cleveland, DT
Cleveland didn't do enough to make the 53-man team, but he landed on the practice squad and survived the first set of roster swaps there. Still, it's hard to see a path for him to being activated on game days with six defensive tackles on the active roster.
Prediction: Cleveland doesn't get activated for a single game this season.
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