The Las Vegas Raiders kicked off the 2026 NFL Draft by making the move we all saw coming and selecting Fernando Mendoza to serve as the franchise's quarterback of the future. While John Spytek considered moving back into Round 1, he ultimately traded back, which, again, was not much of a shocker.
After trading picks No. 36 and 117 for No. 38 and 91, Las Vegas upgraded its secondary with the selection of defensive back Treydan Stukes. While he mostly lined up at cornerback during his six-year college career, it appears that the Raiders plan to use him as a safety.
Of course, that was a major need for Las Vegas entering the second day of the draft, as Isaiah Pola-Mao struggled mightily in 2025. While there were thoughts that the Raiders could double-dip at safety, the Seattle Seahawks snagged fan favorite Bud Clark just three picks before Las Vegas' third-round selection.
Las Vegas Raiders narrowly missed out on fan favorite Bud Clark
Clark was a popular pick to be selected by the Raiders in Rounds 3 and 4, but fans didn't know that it would eventually take even more than the No. 67 overall pick. There was also plenty of support from the fanbase in making him the newest member of the Silver and Black.
That was no surprise, as Clark proved he was great in coverage, recording 15 interceptions and 21 passes defended over the past four seasons. The addition of Stukes likely wouldn't have prevented the team from targeting another safety, as Las Vegas would have been able to run three safety sets with the rookie duo, along with Jeremy Chinn.
Instead, just three picks before the Raiders were back on the clock, the Seahawks snagged Clark with the final pick of the second round. That move certainly stings, as, despite also playing six years in college, the former TCU Horned Frogs safety proved to be a threat as a deep safety.
Meanwhile, Stukes has technically played just 36 of his 2,535 career snaps at deep safety. He still spent a lot of time playing on the back end, so the lack of reps in the role should not scare Raider Nation. Pairing him with a proven deep safety like Clark would have been an ideal route, however.
Instead, Las Vegas wound up selecting former Auburn Tigers edge rusher Keyron Crawford with the No. 67 overall pick. While he was not on many fans' radar, particularly in the way that Clark was, the Raiders' pass rush took another step in the right direction on Friday.
Ultimately, missing out on a prospect as talented as Clark, who was a fan favorite throughout the pre-draft process, will sting. Las Vegas could still opt to target another true safety later in the draft; however, it remains to be seen if Spytek will go that route.
Add us as a preferred source on Google