The Las Vegas Raiders are expected by many to use one of their top picks on a cornerback, as their desire to surround projected top pick Fernando Mendoza with talent may end up being superseded by the need to put together a secondary that even solid starting quarterbacks can't simply dice up.
Two of these players who could fit the bill have the most contradictory skillsets possible. One of them is Indiana's D'Angelo Ponds, a diminutive slot dynamo with an outlier physical build, and the other is a bigger cornerback who lacks a defined position in Arizona's Treydan Stukes.
These two players have the most different styles of play, but both of them could be Raiders targets in the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft. John Spytek should be held accountable if he comes out of the first two days without a very impactful player in the secondary.
Raiders could draft D'Angelo Ponds or Treydan Stukes in 2026 NFL Draft
Ponds has the skills and production to be a first-round pick. However, there are weight classes for a reason, and Spytek should not be considered a dinosaur if he is skeptical about someone generously listed at 5-10 and slightly over 170 pounds being able to take down NFL-level athletes.
Where Ponds shines is being able to fly all over the defensive backfield, breaking up passes against bigger players, and stepping up in clutch situations. In a thin secondary, Ponds would likely end the season as the team's best defensive back and be a key part of the infrastructure moving forward.
Stukes is the complete opposite at 6-foot-2 and nearly 200 pounds. Some teams may view him as a safety instead of a cornerback, which may be due to his man coverage skills being inferior and much more volatile when compared to prospects like Ponds.
Where Stukes shines is with his versatile, zone coverage excellence and hard-hitting tackling style. The Raiders' defense is so bereft of talent that Spytek needs to reach for the stars and take the most talented player available. Stukes could be that guy, even if he doesn't fit into some of the traditional boxes some are penciled in to.
The Raiders need to figure out their secondary after they land an offensive infrastructure around Mendoza, and while one can't find two corners with a more different set of skills than Ponds and Stukes, there's a path to both of them eventually becoming long-term stars in Las Vegas.