Scott Gulbransen
There’s a version of this column that spends 700 words parsing every Las Vegas Raiders 2026 NFL Draft pick and finding reasons to hedge. That would be overthinking it. The Las Vegas Raiders had one of the best drafts in the NFL this weekend, and John Spytek deserves credit for running it the way a front office with a real plan should.
With how his first year unfolded, many in Raider Nation had doubts about whether Spytek could be trusted with the first overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. After all, his first year, saddled with has-been coach Pete Carroll, was riddled with perceived draft and free agent misses. Yet, to astute observers, there was something else at play.
No, 2026 was the first time we could get a full glimpse of how Spytek, along with minority owner Tom Brady and some new scouting and front office staff, would run and build this thing. And, I have to say, it was impressive.
John Spytek Didn’t Overthink, He Addressed Key Roster Needs
Start with the foundation: Fernando Mendoza at No. 1 was never going to be wrong. Las Vegas is already building a real support system around him, including Tyler Linderbaum at center, Ashton Jeanty in the backfield and Brock Bowers at tight end. The job from picks two through 10 was to keep adding to that infrastructure and patch the secondary. They did both, and then some.
Treydan Stukes addressed two needs at once — nickelback and safety — and had legitimate 1st-round buzz heading into draft weekend. Stukes isn’t a sexy pick, but he’s a functional one, and in a draft where the Raiders had a laundry list of needs, picking the guy who covers the most ground makes sense.
Trey Zuhn III at 91 may have been the steal of the day. He posted the highest pass-blocking grade among all college tackles on Pro Football Focus at 96.8, and the Raiders got him in the third round. He was announced as a center but played tackle at Texas A&M. For his NFL career, the truth probably lies somewhere in the middle, at guard. Either way, that’s a high-floor player protecting a rookie quarterback. You can’t quibble with it.
Then came Day 3, and Spytek didn’t let off the gas.
McCoy Selection Was Off the Charts
Jermod McCoy at 101 feels like theft, honestly. He was the 14th overall prospect on the consensus big board and should not have fallen this far. Length, speed, ball skills — he has everything you want in a modern corner. The knee injury concern is real — there are plenty of questions about McCoy’s health, and that’s why he was still sitting there on Day 3. But the Raiders liked him enough to trade up one spot, sending a 7th-rounder to Buffalo just to make sure they got him. That’s being aggressive, and being aggressive when a top-14 talent is sitting in the fourth round is always the right call. If McCoy is healthy, this pick looks like the best value in the entire draft.
Mike Washington Jr. adds versatility and physicality to the backfield. He ran a 4.33-second 40 and gives Ashton Jeanty an actual running mate — someone who can contribute in the passing game and break tackles when the moment calls for it. The Raiders traded up to get him too. Again, exactly the right instinct.
Before You Crown the Raiders, Consider What Didn’t Happen
So, where does all this leave things? In a genuinely good place, which isn’t something you could say about this franchise 12 months ago.
That said — and this column is going to stay honest — there are real questions that didn’t get answered this weekend.
Wide receiver was addressed with Malik Benson in the sixth round. A 6th-rounder. The Raiders brought in several top wideouts for top-30 visits all spring, only for it to play out as a smoke screen. Benson has 4.37 speed and legitimate upside, but he’s a developmental piece, not a solution. Las Vegas took Donté Thornton Jr. and Jack Bech last year, and neither exactly jumped off the screen. At some point, Mendoza needs a legitimate No. 1 target outside of Brock Bowers to work with. That question is still open.
And the defensive tackle situation — the Raiders finally addressed a gaping hole at nose tackle with their final pick of the draft, Brandon Cleveland, in the 7th round. 7th round. He has good size and is a reasonable run stopper, but it’s hard to see him making a real impact as a rookie. Trading away Tyree Wilson and answering the D-tackle position at pick 229 is a bet that the room is better than it looks. Maybe it is. But it’s a bet.
None of that changes the overall verdict. The Raiders had a strong free agency period and followed it up with a draft that will get good grades across the league. Spytek was aggressive, targeted real needs, and got value at nearly every turn. For a franchise that’s spent years drafting without direction, this weekend felt genuinely different.
The ceiling questions at receiver and the interior D-line are real. But the Las Vegas Raiders’ 2026 NFL Draft gave themselves a chance. After decades of head-scratching drafts, that’s a good place to be.
