While some folks in the national media are advising the Las Vegas Raiders to trade back from the No. 1 pick, mainly because people don't want to see the Silver and Black improve, nobody actually seems to think they'll do it. Fernando Mendoza's arrival is imminent, and John Spytek must act accordingly.
The top priority is building an impermeable offensive line around him, but a young quarterback also needs established pass-catchers. Las Vegas has young talent like Tre Tucker, Jack Bech and Dont'e Thornton Jr., but little is proven in that department outside of Brock Bowers and Ashton Jeanty.
Fortunately, it is a good offseason to need a wide receiver. While the 2026 NFL Draft class is strong at the position, the Raiders need an experienced veteran. Someone like Mike Evans, whom Spytek knows personally, could check all the necessary boxes for Klint Kubiak and Co.
John Spytek could use connection with Mike Evans to lure him to Las Vegas in free agency
Evans was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2014 and has spent every season of his NFL career with the franchise. That means he and Spytek were with the same organization for nine years, and surely they have a rapport or some sort of relationship to start negotiations.
While Evans does seem to be a Tampa Bay lifer, he is poised for unrestricted free agency next month, and as the Bucs continue to infuse young talent at the wide receiver position, the aging but still talented and effective wide receiver could want a new lease on life elsewhere in the league.
Perhaps Evans feels indebted to Spytek for his role in bringing Tom Brady, the best quarterback Evans has ever played with, to Tampa Bay. Of course, that netted the franchise a Super Bowl victory, and the Raiders have the cap space to let Evans ride off into the NFL sunset on a solid salary.
But Las Vegas wouldn't just want Evans to sign a deal and coast. He'd be tasked with not only being the top wide receiver option in Kubiak's offense, but helping to develop a smattering of different players. Based on how the Bucs' young wideouts have panned out, Evans may have a skill for that.
As far as where he specifically fits into Kubiak's offense, Evans could play the role that Cooper Kupp played in Seattle in 2025. That would entail being a strong run blocker and catching the bulk of his passes between five and 15 yards down the field. Short and intermediary passes. His wheelhouse.
RELATED:Â Raiders' missing piece in run game is staring John Spytek in the face in FA
That doesn't mean that Evans can't still make big plays. Mendoza needs a security blanket on crucial downs, and in the red zone, as well as someone he can throw 50-50 balls and back-shoulder passes to. That's where Evans makes his money, and he could quickly establish a connection with Mendoza.
The only drawback to Evans coming to the Raiders is that he may limit opportunities for Bech or Thornton Jr. After all, Evans and Bech have the same alignment frequency, handling about 70-75% of their snaps out wide and the other 25-30% in the slot. It'd be hard for them to coexist.
However, Evans' snap share has gone down dramatically over the last few years. In the eight games that he played in 2025, he only played 65% of the snaps, which would leave at least 35% of the snaps for Bech to play, and likely more, as the two would be on the field together at times.
Some would argue that Evans may want to ring chase at this stage in his career, as he just suffered his first serious injury at the NFL level, and he is 32 years old. Father Time isn't always kind to wide receivers. But he could also take pride in a good contract and in turning things around for the Raiders.
Spotrac predicts Evans' market value to be a two-year, $26.6 million deal, which is very affordable for Las Vegas. Spytek knows him, Kubiak presumably knows how to use him, Mendoza could rely on him, and young wideouts could learn from him. Evans sounds like the perfect veteran addition to the room.