It was obvious after free agency that the Las Vegas Raiders were going to attack the secondary during the 2026 NFL Draft. And John Spytek did just that, bringing in four total players, including two at safety, to add to a room that already had Jeremy Chinn, Isaiah Pola-Mao and Tristin McCollum.
Treydan Stukes and Dalton Johnson are the new kids on the block after being college teammates at Arizona. And a talent influx was needed for this room, as the back end of the Las Vegas defense was not exactly stout last season, or perhaps not utilized properly by the previous staff.
But there is plenty of talent in this room, and with a more modern defensive scheme under Rob Leonard, these players should be set up for success. Particularly in Week 1 with a favorable matchup. So, we'll dive into the players that make up this room and provide some bold predictions for each one.
Previewing Las Vegas Raiders' SAF room before big 2026 NFL season
Jeremy Chinn
Chinn is a big and physical safety who is best playing in the box and close to the line of scrimmage. He is a tremendous helper in the run game and a great tackler, as Chinn's length and physicality allow him to take on tight ends and offensive linemen and bring down ball carriers.
Where he struggles is in pass coverage, as Chinn gave up plenty of completions and yards last year, but most crucially, he relinquished seven touchdowns through the air and was frequently targeted in the red zone. Hopefully, he is put in more advantageous coverage situations in 2026.
If Leonard models his defense after Mike MacDonald in Seattle, as most expect, then fans can expect Chinn to blitz with some frequency and be used as the versatile piece that he can be, almost like a linebacker lite. All of that should help hide Chinn's deficiencies and let him be an asset in many ways.
Bold prediction: Chinn sets a career high in sacks.
Treydan Stukes
Stukes is an older rookie to be selected in Round 2, but there's a reason the Raiders coveted him so much. Not only is he versatile between the box, slot and playing deep, but Stukes has immense physical tools and supreme intelligence. He will be an instant impact player as the starting free safety.
Diagnosing plays early is one of Stukes' superpowers, which allows him to close on the ball quickly. He also has a knack for the football and can take it away, which the Las Vegas defense has sorely missed in recent seasons. Stukes truly can do it all, and he can do it from a number of spots.
Bold prediction: Stukes leads the team in interceptions and earns All-Rookie honors.
Isaiah Pola-Mao
Pola-Mao just doesn't have the coverage chops to be a starting deep safety, and that was exposed last year. But with Stukes (and Taron Johnson?) as the center fielder (s), Pola-Mao can have more of a specialized role where he blitzes and plays against the run, which is what he's better at.
He still needs to improve his tackling if he wants to be a significant contributor, but Pola-Mao should be a factor on this defense if he can limit glaring mistakes and not get picked on through the air again. If he struggles as he did last season, then Pola-Mao could be on the way out in a contract year.
Bold prediction: Pola-Mao gets traded at the deadline (to the Pittsburgh Steelers?)
Dalton Johnson
Johnson had some really great moments in the preseason, both on defense and on special teams. Johnson is not the biggest player but was willing to help out as a run defender, and he used solid technique to stick with receivers and break up passes or limit their yards after the catch.
The preseason finale was a bit rough for him, but I'd have no quarrels about putting him in the rotation. If Pola-Mao struggles, Johnson should be the next man up, as he, like Stukes, can play all over the secondary and even be an outside linebacker like Chinn, which is surprising at his size.
Bold prediction: Johnson becomes part of the safety rotation by the end of the year.
Tristin McCollum
Tell me if you're sensing a theme: McCollum is versatile and can come down from the secondary to make run stops. He's not quite twitchy enough to cover in the slot, but McCollum can play deep or roll down into the box and mix it up, using his big body and length to add an extra run defender.
His coverage on the back end looked a lot better in August than it did during limited snaps in the 2025 campaign as well. But even if McCollum doesn't play much on defense, if at all, he'll be a staple on nearly every special teams unit, and in that way, he will contribute to this team no matter what.
Bold prediction: McCollum gets run in the secondary and plays every special teams snap.
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