Grading Raiders' Trade Back, Sixth-Round Pick of Malik Benson

The Las Vegas Raiders' 2026 NFL Draft is nearing its end. Las Vegas' front office has added talent to many of the positions they had ignored in free agency. Las Vegas' 2026 draft haul was the perfect complement to a productive start to free agency. The Raiders have undoubtedly improved.

Raiders' Add to Back End

The Raiders used free agency to add to the starting-caliber players they had on the roster. Las Vegas added to their group of linebackers, wide receivers, and their offensive line in free agency. They used the draft to go in a different direction and add depth to the position of need.

Las Vegas used the later rounds of the draft to add players who may not contribute right away, but can still develop over the next few years. The rebuild the Raiders hope to complete one day will require them to fill their talent pipeline ahead of time, which is what they have done via this draft.

Las Vegas' roster was one of the worst in the league over the past few seasons. The Raiders continued to address needs even with later-round picks. Although players drafted in the middle and later rounds of the draft are often overlooked, the Raiders' front office made the most of every pick.

For a team in need of talent on every level of the depth chart, Las Vegas' front office knew they were not in a position to overlook potential talent in the draft, regardless of where in the draft that talent was. The face of the Raiders' franchise, Maxx Crosby, was drafted in the middle rounds.

The Raiders traded the No. 185 overall pick to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the 195th overall pick and the 229th overall pick, respectively. The move allowed the Raiders to get back into the seventh round, after trading the 219th pick to the New Orleans Saints earlier in the day.

With the 195th overall pick in the draft, the Raiders selected wide receiver Malik Benson. Even the 195th pick in the draft was a productive one for a Raiders roster in need of additional talent. Benson will have the chance to develop under a Raiders coaching staff searching for under-the-radar talent.

Raiders General Manager John Spytek noted that many of the players drafted on Day Two and Day Three of the draft have a chip on their shoulders, especially those picks who may have felt they deserved to go higher in the draft.

"We didn't necessarily identify them because they were under-recruited or not very much recruited at all, but just, I love the chip. The good ones I've been around, they find a chip, and if the chip is seemingly wearing off, they find a new one,” Spytek said after the second day of the draft.

“And they really never forget kind of where they came from and maybe that they were disrespected or under-appreciated at some point in their career. I just appreciate these guys for the way they attack and play the game of football.”

Las Vegas has come a long way in a short amount of time. Their roster rebuild is fully underway and still has more pieces on the way over the next couple of offseasons. The Raiders' sixth-round addition ensured they had a complete and thorough draft.

Most late draft picks struggle to find a roster spot right away, but with the needs the Raiders have, he has a chance to carve out a spot for himself on the roster or on special teams. There has not been a single move Las Vegas has made in free agency or the NFL Draft that does not make sense.

Benson's speed could make him an impact player on special teams, possibly as a returner. He will also be a solid addition to a group of wide receivers with no clear-cut No. 1 option and several players on the back end of the unit that Benson can potentially beat out for a roster spot.

Grade: C

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