The Las Vegas Raiders entered the 2025 season with elevated expectations. It became very clear early on that the team was not ready to take a step towards contention, and they ultimately finished tied for the league's worst record at 3-14.
There was a light at the end of the tunnel, however, as they were able to secure the No. 1 overall pick and the opportunity to select Fernando Mendoza. The presumed addition of the 2025 Heisman Trophy winner led to the Raiders landing their top head coaching target, as they brought in Klint Kubiak for the role.
They also made massive moves in free agency, revamping the defense while adding the market's top offensive lineman, Tyler Linderbaum, on a record-setting contract. The Raiders received praise for building the team the right way ahead of the predicted Mendoza selection.
The Las Vegas Raiders brass earns well-deserved praise for offseason roster construction
Las Vegas' front office has not explicitly stated that it will use the No. 1 overall pick to select Mendoza. All signs, however, point to the 2025 national champion being the first name off the board later this month.
Kevin Clark appeared on The Wingo Network, where he discussed the franchise's roster construction as they prepare to make Mendoza their signal caller. After host Trey Wingo noted that he feels better about the Raiders than he has in the last decade, leading his guest to praise their offseason moves in a comparison to the Tennessee Titans' moves ahead of drafting Cam Ward No. 1 overall last year.
"What the Raiders are doing, Trey, which I find smart, is they're not waiting a year and letting Fernando Mendoza get the crap knocked out of him. They're signing the most expensive center in history... I'm good with the $5 million a year extra because you're in that system. You're getting a guy who's going to protect Fernando Mendoza and know how to make the protection calls and protect your young quarterback. Upgrading in a bunch of different places. You already have Ashton Jeanty. You already added to the defense. They're going to be able to get the ball back for him. So, I like it a lot more than I liked what the Titans did last year, which was letting a guy get the crap knocked out of him."
One move that Clark did not address that could be massive for the Raiders was the addition of quarterback Kirk Cousins. The four-time Pro Bowler, who has played in Kubiak's system, figures to be the starter to begin the season, at the very least.
That move will allow Mendoza to slowly transition to the NFL, rather than being thrown to the wolves right away. Kubiak and general manager John Spytek have both made it clear that they prefer not to start a rookie immediately, and the signing of Cousins allows them to take their time bringing the former Indiana Hoosiers star along.
Some of the top quarterbacks selected this decade, including Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, and Patrick Mahomes, did not begin their careers atop the depth chart. The opportunity to sit behind a proven veteran and learn should pay dividends for Mendoza in the long run.
Ultimately, Las Vegas still has plenty of work to do before the franchise is viewed as a legitimate Super Bowl contender. It is hard to argue, however, that their leadership brass is taking the right steps to rebuild the team.
That's in stark contrast to what happened during Pete Carroll's abbreviated tenure. Carroll put too much faith in Geno Smith, and while their reunion in Vegas was a fun storyline, hiring Chip Kelly as offensive coordinator was a massive miscalculation on Carroll's part.
The Geno-Chip offense was a mess in 2025, and Carroll, having considerable say over personnel, didn't team with Spytek to stock the roster cupboard well enough with veteran talent.
Spytek went nuclear on the open market, acquiring no fewer than six new starters who are all massive upgrades at key spots. That's how you build around an incoming No. 1 overall quarterback on a rookie contract.
Last year's draft QB class doesn't look quite as bad as it did upon initial evaluation. Had the Raiders not hitched their wagon to Geno, they could've had, say, Jaxson Dart or Tyler Shough. They both look like potential franchise guys for the Giants and Saints respectively. Even if Geno had started over either of them and they still wound up with the top pick in this draft, they could've gotten an all-time haul for some team moving up for Mendoza.
Oh well. Bottom line is, the Raiders' needle is decidedly pointing up, and they seem to be more in lockstep than before when it comes to their big-picture vision. That type of organizational alignment should serve Mendoza well as he acclimates to the NFL.
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