In the blink of an eye, the Las Vegas Raiders now find themselves at the halfway point in the 2026 NFL season, with eight games down and nine to go. At 4-4, the odds aren't zero that the Silver and Black could play more than 17 games this year, but for now, this is the midway marker in the campaign.
At such a critical juncture, it feels natural to make some well-informed evaluations and assessments of where things stand throughout the roster and the building at large. We'll start with the rookie class, which consists of 10 players taken in the 2026 NFL Draft, one UDFA, and one later addition.
So, in place of our typical rookie report card, let's rank the individual members of the Raiders' first-year contingent, factoring in impact, playing time and role, and a bit of projection going forward. A low ranking isn't an indictment, nor is a high one a coronation. But this is where things stand currently.
Ranking Raiders' rookie class through 8 games of the 2026 NFL season
1. Treydan Stukes
Stukes has been a full-time starter since Week 1, and outside of an injury-shortened Week 2 and a Week 3 absence, he has played every single defensive snap for the Raiders. He's had some great moments, and some where he's been exposed, but Stukes is far from the biggest issue, or really an issue at all, for the Las Vegas defense. It'll be fun to watch him and his role grow over the years.
2. Mike Washington Jr.
Washington Jr. has been a part of the game plan every week, and now he seems to have taken over for Ashton Jeanty as the team's featured running back. He's broken big runs and been solid enough on a down-to-down basis, and while he has room to grow as a blocker and reciever, Washington Jr. has clearly made his way into the hearts of the fanbase and the forefront of the staff's mind.
3. Zeke Masses
Through the first four weeks, Masses was atop this list. But a regression in snap count and a lesser impact have dropped him to a still-respectable third place. His three picks to start the year were incredible, but Masses got picked on for a while and missed some tackles in the run game. However, he seems to be back in the flow a bit here now. I still think he'll be a starting corner for a long time.
4. Trey Zuhn III
Call me crazy, but Zuhn III may keep ascending this list by the year's end. He had a great day at right guard in his first career start on Sunday after weeks of solid play as an extra lineman, and Zuhn III has been good on special teams all year. Something tells me that the right guard job is now his to lose, which means that he could be in the Stukes conversation rather quickly if he keeps up at this rate.
5. Fernando Mendoza
Quarterbacks always weigh a lot, and after just one drive, Mendoza finds himself in the middle of this ranking. He looked ready for the moment, as the rookie was poised, evaded pressure, found completions and used his legs. Obviously, the hope is that he is eventually atop this list, but for now, he's learning great lessons from Kirk Cousins and positioning himself well for the future.
6. Tim Keenan III
Keenan III has only been active for two games, and he is still just a practice squad player, but he's provided a nice boost for the middle of the defense in the last two weeks. He had a sack and a pressure against the Jets and recorded two tackles the week prior. If Keenan III can continue to grow, maybe Las Vegas won't have to look far for a solution at nose tackle.
7. Jermod McCoy
McCoy has actually been awesome on special teams this year, which is really impressive for a young player with not much experience in that realm. And on draft night, he probably didn't think he'd be playing in the third phase of the game for a .500 ball club after being a Day 3 pick, but his effort speaks to his maturity. He seems to be trending in the right direction and getting reps on defense now, too. McCoy struggled a bit on Sunday, but if this list were about potential, he'd still be at the top.
8. Malik Benson
Benson just hasn't done much for this team, as he's been exclusively a punt returner and has run very few routes. And he's had some nice moments and made big returns, but as a wide receiver, Benson has hauled in just two of his six targets and has one rush for -8 yards. Last week, he was a healthy scratch, so unlike McCoy, he is moving in the wrong direction.
9. Cian Slone
Slone has now been elevated from the practice squad three times (even though he has only been active once), so Raider Nation won't see him again unless he's signed to the active roster. But he filled Patrick Johnson's role beautifully, playing 26 special teams snaps in Week 8. Slone was involved in a tackle and laid a nice block to pave the way for Dylan Laube's 95-yard kickoff return for a touchdown.
Would love to see more of him.
10. Dalton Johnson
Johnson has been a healthy scratch in all but one game, and he didn't make the impact he would have liked in that outing. But I'm still optimistic that he can be a core special-teamer and even a rotational piece in the secondary in the coming years. Johnson showed promise in the preseason, but he just hasn't gotten an opportunity this year, so he is at the bottom of the list... for now.
N/A - Keyron Crawford (IR), Brandon Cleveland (yet to appear)
Crawford was placed on injured reserve after the preseason finale, so fans won't get to see him until next year. Cleveland was waived on cutdown day but re-signed to the practice squad. Despite not having any known health issues, he has not been elevated yet this year and has been passed over.
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