After one of the most disappointing campaigns in recent memory, the Las Vegas Raiders needed a massive offseason to both make up ground in the AFC West and revitalize a fanbase that truly deserved better than what it got during the 2025 NFL season.
John Spytek and Klint Kubiak delivered just that over the last few months.
Las Vegas spared no cost during free agency, adding big names like Tyler Linderbaum, Quay Walker, Nakobe Dean and Kwity Paye. Then, they attacked the 2026 NFL Draft and brought home an excellent crop of young players, 10 to be exact, which was headlined by No. 1 pick Fernando Mendoza.
In an effort to assess where the Silver and Black still need reinforcements, or where they simply need someone to step up ahead of the season, we attempted to rank each position group in Las Vegas. With how much better this roster has gotten, it was no easy task. So, here's the best we could do.
Ranking Las Vegas Raiders' position groups after 2026 offseason
1. Tight End
Brock Bowers and Michael Mayer are a difficult duo to beat, but they don't even tell the entire story. Yes, Bowers is an All-Pro talent, and Mayer is another great young player with untapped potential. The two of them will be unstoppable if they can get some good coaching and be healthy at the same time. But depth pieces like Ian Thomas, Albert Okwuegbunam and Carter Runyon are all very solid as well.
2. Defensive End/Edge Rusher
Even after trading Tyree Wilson and cutting Charles Snowden, this group remains near the top. The star power of Maxx Crosby serves as a massive weight, and Paye is a very capable rusher as well. The building apparently thinks very highly of 3rd-rounder Keyron Crawford, and Malcolm Koonce is bound to be better in his second year after injury. Don't sleep on Brennan Jackson or Cian Slone, either.
3. Cornerback
In terms of pure talent, this group deserves to be up here. Not all of them have proven it yet, but a vet tandem of Eric Stokes and Taron Johnson is promising, and Darien Porter showed legitimate flashes as a rookie. Combine that with the additions of Jermod McCoy, a top 10 talent in this year's draft, and Zeke Masses, a true late-round gem, and the sky is the limit for this group. They just need to prove it.
4. Running Back
Despite a rough rookie year, Ashton Jeanty is still one of the best running backs in the NFL, and he'll thrive in Kubiak's system. Adding Mike Washington Jr. into the fold was a smart move on Day 3, and Roman Hemby was an excellent get as a UDFA. Dylan Laube and Chris Collier have some promise, too, but haven't been given a runway yet to show it. And don't forget about fullback Connor Heyward.
5. Interior Offensive Line
This may be an unpopular opinion, but the middle three up front excite me. Linderbaum's prowess speaks for itself, but any combination of Jackson Powers-Johnson, Caleb Rogers, Trey Zuhn III, Jordan Meredith and Spencer Burford is better than people give it credit for. It's a young room, yes, but Linderbaum will more than pull his weight, and the young guys have boatloads of promise.
6. Quarterback
If Mendoza turns out to be the player that Raider Nation thinks that he is, then this group will ascend rapidly to the top. And I think that is possible in the not-so-distant future. But right now, Kirk Cousins, a veteran whose best days are behind him, is the likely Week 1 starter, and a rookie who hasn't played a snap yet is the No. 2. Aidan O'Connell is a good QB3, and Jacob Clark is a nice UDFA.
7. Defensive Tackle
A starting trio of Adam Butler, Jonah Laulu and Thomas Booker IV is enough to get the job done. Factor in Tonka Hemingway, who looked like a rising star as a rookie, and other intriguing young pieces like J.J. Pegues, Brandon Cleveland and Treven Ma'ae, and this room is deeper and more promising than most realize. They lack a true star, and their upside is limited, but they are very solid.
8. Safety
Jeremy Chinn is a great piece at strong safety, and Treydan Stukes looks like an incredible player as the deep man. But the depth of this room is shaky, at best, and that's if Stukes is the player fans think he'll be right away. Pola-Mao can be fine as a situational player, but Tristin McCollum and fifth-rounder Dalton Johnson, who is promising, to be fair, as the next men up, is not necessarily ideal.
9. Linebacker
Spytek made two great additions to this room in Quay Walker and Nakobe Dean. But this is a top-heavy unit, and both of the aforementioned players come with some injury concerns. Perhaps Segun Olubi is better than we think, and either Tommy Eichenberg, Cody Lindenberg or UDFA Xavian Sorey Jr. steps up behind them. But there's not much to rotate in here, as of now, and the depth is unproven.
10. Offensive Tackle
Kolton Miller is great, but he's not exactly a spring chicken, and he is coming off a significant injury. DJ Glaze's play left plenty to be desired last year, and although I expect him to be better with Rick Dennison as the offensive line coach, he should still have to compete for his job. Charles Grant will be his main competitor, and yes, he's shown promise, but there are a lot of question marks here.
11. Wide Receiver
The funny thing about the whole wide receiver discourse is that this group is comprised of some nice pieces. Between Tre Tucker, who is perennially underrated, Jalen Nailor, who is ready for a bigger role, and young guys like Jack Bech, Dont'e Thornton Jr. and Malik Benson, the Raiders' wide receiver unit has serious upside. But they lack production, and they've got a ways to go in proving themselves.
All in all, this Raiders roster is much more talented and way deeper than it was a year ago. They've still got a long way to go, but if Kubiak and his staff can help develop the youngsters and squeeze what they can out of the veterans, then this Las Vegas team could approach .500. When units headlined by Miller, Tucker, Dean and Walker are at the very bottom, you know you had a great offseason.
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