In somewhat of a twist of events, the Las Vegas Raiders drafted two cornerbacks and two safeties during the 2026 NFL Draft. Now, fans didn't think that these positions were necessarily set, but the Raiders' pre-draft visits indicated that they had their eyes elsewhere in the early and middle rounds.
Both Klint Kubiak and John Spytek noted before the event that Las Vegas needed some reinforcements at the safety position, in particular. But Raider Nation couldn't have imagined a complete retooling of the secondary's future in just a few short rounds on Friday and Saturday.
Now, some believe that this strategy is purely a numbers game. That Las Vegas focused more on the quantity of players that it could add in hopes that simply one of them would work out. But this major investment straddled the line of quantity and quality perfectly, as every player has a distinct role.
Although the jury is still out, it seems like masterful work from Spytek and the front office.
Las Vegas Raiders found quality and quantity in their secondary during 2026 NFL Draft
First of all, let's take a look at the players currently in the secondary, beginning with the boundary corners. Eric Stokes is an undisputed starter, as evidenced by the $30 million contract they handed him. He is long and physical, but more of a sticky coverage guy than a takeaway machine.
Darien Porter is another player with great physical traits who is still learning the position, but isn't likely to make a bunch of plays on the ball. While he showed last year that he's capable of taking on a full-time role, the Raiders don't have to go all-in on that bet. They got great insurance policies.
Jermod McCoy has good-not-great size, but he is a superstar if he's healthy and would easily be the top cover corner and playmaker in the room. Hezekiah Masses doesn't have a tremendous physical or athletic profile, but he makes up for it with incredible ball skills, physicality and competitiveness.
Stokes and Porter are more physically-gifted with less game-changing ability. McCoy and Masses weren't built in a lab but make up for it tremendously in other ways. They've all got speed. Las Vegas has set itself up to match up with any combination of wide receivers on the outside.
Now, in the slot, the Raiders can go a number of different directions. Obviously, in the short-term, Taron Johnson will fill that nickel role. But they can mix it up by employing rookie second-round safety Treydan Stukes there on occasion, as he had a lot of success at the spot in college.
Greedy Vance Jr. also showed some promise last preseason and should get a go at the backup role. Strong safety Jeremy Chinn can roll up into the slot in big nickel packages as well, and rookie Dalton Johnson looked good there in college, too. It's a true "pick your poison" for new DC Rob Leonard.
At the safety spots, it is a bit more straightforward. Chinn will be that strong safety playing closer to the line of scrimmage, as he is big enough to cover tight ends and quick enough to cover running backs out of the backfield. Isaiah Pola-Mao can rotate in and fill a similar role. Again, options.
Stukes is likely to hold down the free safety spot, and Dalton Johnson can rotate in behind him. Pola-Mao, although it is not his strong suit, can even drop into that position a time or two every game, if for no other reason than to keep opposing offensive coordinators on their toes.
Yes, it seems like the Raiders have thrown a lot at the wall in recent years and tried to see what will stick. Nothing has, because they've lacked a true vision or plan, so everything naturally appears to be a lazy effort in hopes that one of many investments will eventually have a strong enough return.
But this is different. Las Vegas put a lot of stock into this year's secondary class because of the diverse skill sets. Because they could fill so many holes with young defensive backs. And the Raiders aren't just hoping that one of them works out; they can all coexist and have success in various roles.
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