Although Fernando Mendoza was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, it was second-rounder Treydan Stukes who seemed like the most surefire Week 1 starter for the Las Vegas Raiders. And throughout the spring, that proved to be the case. Early this summer, however, not so much.
With all of the veterans back in the fold, it took Stukes a while to get acclimated. But he built off a solid showing in the preseason opener and really turned it on last week against the Houston Texans, proving once again why Raider Nation was so high on the young defensive back to begin with.
But an obstacle stands in Stukes' way on the quest to a starting spot: Incumbent free safety Isaiah Pola-Mao. The tide appears to be turning quite a bit in Las Vegas after last Thursday's game, though, and Stukes may actually be inching toward becoming a first-teamer. But the job is far from over.
Treydan Stukes has strong outing in Raiders' second preseason game
From a coverage, tackling, blitzing, instincts and versatility standpoint, Stukes displayed everything that he needed to against Houston to convince the Raiders' staff that he deserves the starting nod. He finished with four tackles, including one for a loss, but that's just the tip of the iceberg.
Stukes had success in coverage, blanketing receivers and muddying things up for opposing quarterbacks. On one rep, he diagnosed the play from deep, came up and covered the crossing route, and then quickly got out to the flat and made a great tackle to limit any yards after the catch.
On another play, Stukes gave up a reception, but it was more of a "good defense, better offense" type of play. Stukes was all over him. He was also asked to blitz on a few occasions, and Stukes was able to get near the quarterback and force a hurry, which is a fun element of his game.
As has become typical for him, Stukes split his snaps between free safety, the slot and the box. And he came screaming downhill on a play to absolutely rock a ball carrier just short of the first down. No matter where he was on the field, Stukes was a playmaker for the defense and made a major impact.
Treydan Stukes earns first-team reps at practice, but must continue to ascend
Seemingly as a result of this strong play, the Raiders made an adjustment to the lineups at practice on Sunday and Monday following the game. After Pola-Mao took all of the first-team reps to begin camp and a good majority of them the last week or two, Stukes was suddenly thrust into that role.
According to The Athletic's Sam Warren, Stukes took most of the snaps with the first-team defense at free safety on Sunday. Then on Monday, he took all of them. By contrast, Mendoza didn't get a single snap with the 1s, so it's not like Klint Kubiak and Co. are just handing these reps out.
Just days ago, though, Pola-Mao was sitting with the rest of the Raiders' starters on the sidelines without pads on as the team took on the Texans in a preseason game, a sign of his role being secure. Stukes was playing. Clearly, things change fast in this league. This time, it's working in Stukes' favor.
If he doesn't keep his foot on the gas, though, then it could work against him, too. Stukes is too talented a player to keep off the field, especially when Pola-Mao, who struggled as a deep safety last year, is the alternative. The rookie from Arizona just needs to keep proving he's the man for the job.
The work isn't done yet, so Stukes needs to keep his foot on the gas.
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