Grading the Raiders' Trade, Fifth-Round Pick of Dalton Johnson

The Las Vegas Raiders have had an eventful NFL Draft this offseason. Between free agency and the NFL Draft, Las Vegas added talent to every position group. Many of the Raiders' most pressing needs were addressed in the first few rounds of the NFL Draft, but the third day was the best.

Raiders' Wheeling and Dealing

Las Vegas made multiple trades on the third day of the draft, trading both up and down. Each trade helped the Raiders improve in one way or another. Such was the case with their final trade of the day, when they moved up from the 175th pick in the draft to the 150th.

The Raiders swapped fifth-round picks with the New Orleans Saints and also traded former first-round pick Tyree Wilson in the move up. Las Vegas went on to use the No. 150 pick on Dalton Johnson. The Raiders' move up was another example of not being afraid to take the necessary chances.

Moving on from Wilson was smart, as they were unlikely to re-sign him or get anything in return after 2026. Not only did they get something in return for Wilson, but they also paired Johnson with his former teammate and fellow safety, Treydan Stukes. Both played together at Arizona.

The Raiders now have their safety tandem for the next few years, assuming both stay healthy and continue to develop. The move eliminates the future need for a safety, as Isaiah Pola-Mao and Jeremy Chinn are set to become free agents after the 2026 season.

Las Vegas needed a productive draft haul and has done just that before the completion of the draft. The Raiders' front office has manufactured an impressive wave of incoming talent that should help expedite their rebuild over the upcoming seasons. They have made significant progress.

Raiders general manager John Spytek explained how much of a process it is for a front office to find the right players to add in the draft. Las Vegas entered with several roster holes to fill. However, they have made a legitimate effort to fill several positions, such as safety.

"It's a magic equation that there's no perfect science to, but since the day I got here, and really Starky [Brian Stark] too, we've just tried to load this roster up with guys that love it, that have leadership traits, that are great teammates, that will do the right thing, that will do the extra thing," Spytek said after the second night of the draft.

"I think we all really felt like the four guys that we have so far in the 2026 Draft, they fill those buckets up pretty well."

Adding Johnson makes sense as the Raiders were looking at the possibility of needing two new safeties after the end of the 2026 season. With the additions of Stukes and Johnson, the Raiders have addressed their safety group before it became a significant need.

They eliminated safety as a need, doing so with two safeties who played college football together. That is the sign of a front office that has done its due diligence. Johnson was the latest pick in what has been a productive draft for the Raiders. They have unquestionably improved.

Considering how the draft went for the Raiders and their needs entering it, Las Vegas has done exactly what they needed to do. They are rounding out the back end of the draft with picks that still have the potential to make an impact now and later during the Raiders' rebuild.

Las Vegas' comeback will take time, but multiple solid draft classes go a long way toward shortening the time it takes.

Grade: B

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