Although the selection of Arizona's Treydan Stukes in Round 2 of the 2026 NFL Draft came with a lot of excitement for Las Vegas Raiders fans, it also came with an obvious question: Where do they see this versatile defensive back playing in the pros? The answer to that is a non-answer: Everywhere.
Early in OTAs, Stukes has been rotating, with the first team defense, no less, between being that nickel defender in the slot and the deep safety position. And it sounds like the rookie is loving life with the Raiders thus far in a highly aggressive defense led by Klint Kubiak and Rob Leonard.
But just how high is Stukes' ceiling? We made some pretty favorable NFL comps for the young player last month. Las Vegas' safeties coach, Matt Robinson, however, dove head-first into a comparison between Stukes and arguably the game's best current safety and a trailblazer at the position.
Las Vegas Raiders SAF coach sees similarities between Treydan Stukes and Kyle Hamilton
When speaking with the Silver and Black's assistant coaches on Tuesday, The Athletic's Sam Warren tracked down Robinson. Warren asked him about whether Stukes' role can be similar to that of Baltimore Ravens star Kyle Hamilton's, and Robinson didn't shy away from that comparison at all.
"Raiders safeties coach Matt Robinson, who came over from Ravens, said Treydan Stukes can 'absolutely' play a similar role to Kyle Hamilton in secondary," Warren wrote. "Said his size, speed and versatility is similar to Hamilton, and hope is that he can bring physicality to his position."
Robinson, as Warren mentioned, spent the last five years on Baltimore's defensive staff, the last four of which he worked with or alongside Hamilton. So, he's seen Hamilton go to work for his entire NFL career thus far, and he apparently sees some overlap between him and Stukes already.
Hamilton has been both a Pro Bowler and an All-Pro in each of the last three seasons, so that is quite the comparison for Stukes. But being talked about in the same breath as Hamilton means much more than just accolades or production. The Ravens' stud safety is a transformational player.
He blurs the lines between slot, deep safety, box safety, off-ball linebacker and outside linebacker, which has created a whole new archetype for versatile defenders. Hamilton's ability to do practically everything on the field has made him almost a positionless asset and a headache for opponents.
With Hamilton on the field, defensive coordinators can keep their offensive counterparts on their toes. The world really becomes the defensive play-callers oyster and allows the unit to be both multiple and disguise their looks because Hamilton can effectively cover all bases.
Every team wants a Hamilton and is looking for a player to fit that mold. The financial market is starting to match that desire, as is the approach during the NFL Draft and free agency. These players are hard to find and impossible to let go of if you're a team in this league.
Perhaps the Raiders have their Hamilton in Stukes.
Both players, as Robinson said, are big and fast athletic freaks who can line up all over the defensive backfield. If Stukes can take that physical leap and help out in the box or on the line as Hamilton can, then Las Vegas has its guy who can cover, play the run, blitz, and so much more.
It is definitely way too early to get carried away with a comparison like this. The pads aren't cracking at Raiders OTAs, as the team is still in the non-contact phase of the offseason program. But just the fact that Robinson wasn't afraid to go there should be exciting for Las Vegas fans.
Let's not anoint the young player just yet, but Stukes certainly has the potential to be a Hamilton-like guy for the Silver and Black defense. That can be a transformational thing for Leonard and Co., so it'll be interesting to see their plan for him come to life in 2026 and beyond.
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