Raiders Do Not Need to Force Early Draft Pick at This Position

Up next for the Las Vegas Raiders and the rest of the National Football League is the 2026 NFL Draft. We are a month away from finding out the next draft class to come in for the Silver and Black, and they are banking on having a great one.

It will be head coach Klint Kubiak's first draft class with the Raiders. It will be the second draft class for general manager John Spytek. In that mix will also be the Raiders minority owner, Tom Brady. They are looking to bring in the future of this franchise.

nfl — Jan 4, 2026; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders general manager John Spytek reacts during the game against the Kansas City Chiefs at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

These three will lead the way for the Raiders in the draft, and they want to make sure they do all their homework and come up with a great plan on how they are going to attack the draft. The Raiders are still in need of finding players in certain positions on their roster.

We know what they are going to do with their first round pick, which is the first overall pick. They are going to take a quarterback. If they do not do that, it will send shock waves around the NFL.

Raiders Cannot take the a Wide Receiver in the Second Round

Feb 24, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Las Vegas Raiders general manager John Spytek speaks at the NFL Scouting Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

After the first round, the Silver and Black is where it gets interesting for this team. The Raiders could go either on the offensive side of the ball or the defensive side of the ball. If they go on the offensive side of the ball in the second round of the draft, one position they cannot go after is the wide receiver position.

That is because the Raiders still have to figure out what they got in that room, with the young talent from last year's draft. They have also brought in a receiver as a free agent.

Feb 10, 2026; Henderson, NV, USA; Las Vegas Raiders general manager John Spytek at press conference at Intermountain Health Performance Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

If you go with another wide receiver in the second round, like they did in last year's draft, you are going to have to leave one receiver not getting the proper reps. It will also feel like a wasted pick for the Raiders and one they could use for another position that needs a starter.

That is the importance of having the right people in the building to pick these players. That is why the Raiders are right on target to have a great draft class this year.

klm\\ — Feb 10, 2026; Henderson, NV, USA; Las Vegas Raiders coach Klint Kubiak speaks at introductory press conference at Intermountain Health Performance Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Raiders have the draft capital to get a receiver if they want to later in the draft. But in the early rounds, that is not the right move.