All eyes are on the Las Vegas Raiders' Week 4 bout against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday. This AFC West showdown will give the winning team a spot alone atop the division, which isn't insignificant about a quarter way through the year. This is a very early and very important test for Klint Kubiak.
And while John Spytek is all-in on the 2026 NFL season as well, he and the front office also have the liberty of taking a 10,000-foot approach to things. They can simultaneously improve this roster and hone it for a potential playoff push while keeping one eye on the future and big-picture building.
To honor both approaches, we are previewing everything Raiders-Chiefs, from underrated DBs to opponent injury reports. But we are also keeping a grasp on what could transpire down the road by monitoring college stars, the Raiders' free agents next year, and now, next March's potential targets.
If we're making a wish list for Las Vegas on the open market next spring, it has to start with a handful of Los Angeles Rams, as they are dragging their feet to pay a group of talented young players who could be of a ton of interest to the Silver and Black.
Note: This weekly column was previously titled 'Guide to Raiders' 2027 free agency.' We are now changing it to 'Raiders' 2027 free agency wish list.'
Wide receiver
Parker Washington, Jaguars
Washington remains at the top of the wish list here for veteran wide receivers, despite a slightly down performance by his standards - three catches for 40 yards and a touchdown. He continues to win in multiple ways, and his grab in the end zone was impressive, as he fought through pass interference to reel it in. Washington isn't a prototype WR1, but he's built similarly enough to Jaxon Smith-Njigba...
George Pickens, Cowboys
Pickens is slowly building toward the kind of games he had last year, as he logged seven catches for 82 yards on a questionable playing surface down in Rio de Janeiro. His maturity will be a question for a Raiders program that values hard work and character, but on the football field, Pickens continues to make contested catches, dominate over the middle, and better understand finding spots vs. zone.
Josh Downs, Colts
Downs fared well against a tough Houston Texans secondary, catching five passes for 77 yards. He was open all day on Sunday, but Daniel Jones could not reliably get him the ball. When he did get it, Downs was great after the catch, notching 24 yards. Downs, like Washington, is not a built-in-the-lab No. 1 guy, but Kubiak has had plenty of success with smaller wideouts, and Downs' skill level is high.
Puka Nacua, Rams
Nacua did not play in Week 3 again due to injury, and the concerns about him are likely too much for Las Vegas to gamble on and pay him the amount that he is worth as a player. But we will keep him on the list for now due to pure ability alone, because Nacua would be unreal in Kubiak's offense.
Defensive tackle
Kobie Turner, Rams
Turner played well against a good Denver Broncos offensive line, recording three pressures, a batted pass and five total tackles. It is anyone's guess as to where he will line up in a given week, as Turner has the ability to play in both the A and B gaps, and he can slide over the tackle as well. He'd be a nice piece to add to Las Vegas' interior rotation, which has impressed, but could still use a boost.
Jalen Redmond, Vikings
Redmond is pretty much a pure 3-tech, and the Raiders have plenty of those, but he is a very good run defender and an emerging pass rusher. He didn't have his best showing against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this weekend, but Redmond still had two pressures, a batted pass and a tackle.
Colby Wooden, Saints
In March, Las Vegas showed a tendency to sign players who performed well against them. Wooden is certainly on the radar, then, as he recorded three pressures, including a quarterback hit, two tackles and a stop against the Raiders on Sunday. He, too, is a pure 3-to-5-tech, but Wooden is growing.
Guard
Steve Avila, Rams
Avila did not perform well against a vicious Broncos front, as he gave up a whopping five pressures, including three hits on Matthew Stafford. He was also penalized once. The Rams did run well off Avila, though, as he helped boost a 30-yard run, and they totaled four carries for 47 yards on either side.
Kevin Dotson, Rams
Dotson also struggled against Denver's great interior players, as he relinquished four pressures and one hit on Sunday Night Football. Unlike Avila, he did not boost any big runs, but the Rams did average 4.3 yards when running off him. He's older and doesn't have as much upside as Avila.
Tyler Steen, Eagles
The Raiders and Eagles have been interconnected ever since some front office folks came to Las Vegas from Philadelphia, and Steen has been making a case for some kind of deal in a contract year. He gave up just one pressure against the Chicago Bears, and the only success Philly had on the ground was when they ran off Steen on Monday night.
Safety
Christian Izien, Lions
Izien, as we noted last week, knows Spytek already, and he continues to be a factor for a Lions defense that has been decimated by injuries. He played a full-time role this week (64 snaps) and made 9 tackles with 4 stops and a pass breakup. Izien is still just 26 years old and quite versatile.
Brian Branch, Lions
Branch has still yet to make his debut this season, but the Raiders should be on the lookout when he does. This is a great player, and the Silver and Black clearly have no qualms about taking on players with nefarious injury histories.
Ji'Ayir Brown, 49ers
Las Vegas already plucked Darrell Luter Jr. from the 49ers, and next offseason, they could target Brown. He is a nearly 27-year-old versatile defensive back with some coverage chops and tackling ability, which he displayed in Week 3 by making five tackles and giving up just 3 catches for 26 yards.
Best of the rest
Ventrell Miller, LB, Jaguars
Miller continues to rack up tackles for the Jaguars after they let Devin Lloyd walk this offseason. And while Miller got tested and beat more in coverage against the New England Patriots than he did in weeks past, he also made a nice pass breakup.
Byron Young, DE, Rams
Young didn't get home against the Broncos, but he constantly put pressure on Bo Nix and won tons of reps against an elite offensive line. He notched seven pressures on Sunday and made four total tackles, including one in coverage. I can't see him hitting the market, but if he does...
Tuli Tuipulotu, DE, Chargers
After a solid outing against the Raiders in Week 2, Tuipulotu really showed out on Sunday in the loss to the Buffalo Bills. He recorded 1.5 sacks and six total pressures against Josh Allen and made four stops to pair with six total tackles. If Tuipulotu is the Chargers' trash, he can be Las Vegas' treasure.
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