How the Raiders Have Set Themselves Up for the Future

The Las Vegas Raiders have all the tools set in place to have a successful offseason. Here's how they can pull it off.

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

The Las Vegas Raiders are a team that has one of the brightest futures in the NFL. Plenty of cap space to work with, the first overall pick is in their possession, and they will hire the man who helped Sam Darnold to the Super Bowl as their head coach.

Klint Kubiak's signing won't be official until after the big game, but this was the best head coaching candidate on the market, and the Raiders got him. Kubiak's going to help Fernando Mendoza tremendously in his rookie season, and the Raiders franchise trajectory is upward. How can they nail this offseason to truly set themselves up for the future?

Bright Future

May 11, 2024; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak looks on during the rookie minicamp at the Ochsner Sports Performance Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images | Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

John Kosko writes for Pro Football Focus, and he wrote an article breaking down five teams that are best set up for the future. The Raiders are on the list for all the reasons I listed, and their outlook can get even brighter if Mendoza delivers on all that he promises as a prospect.

"In a presumed one-quarterback draft, the Raiders hold all the power with the first overall pick. That alone is enough to put them on this list, but when paired with the second-most cap space available in the NFL, it becomes the cherry on top", said Kosko.

Indiana's Fernando Mendoza (15) gets loose before the College Football Playoff National Championship college football game at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens on Monday, Jan. 19, 2026. | Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Raiders need to use the great amount of money they have to properly address their roster needs. Although Mendoza is inheriting a roster that has top-end talent like Ashton Jeanty and Brock Bowers, there's still a severe lack of weapons and offensive infrastructure.

Their offensive line was one of the worst units in the league last season, and that should be on top of their priority list this offseason. The Seattle Seahawks used the run game to stabilize their offense, so I would hope Kubiak knows the importance of the offensive line and spends a lot of their money fixing it up.

Dec 21, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Las Vegas Raiders running back Ashton Jeanty (2) catches a touchdown pass against Houston Texans linebacker Henry To'Oto'O (39) in the second half at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images | Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

"The Raiders enter the 2026 offseason with $81.3 million in available cap space to supplement a roster that is young but already features several promising building blocks. Assuming Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza is the selection at No. 1 overall, he would step into an offense headlined by budding superstar tight end Brock Bowers and 2025 sixth overall pick running back Ashton Jeanty".

Mendoza will make the most with what he's given, but the offense is lacking a bona fide star in their receiving room to make things easier on him. Under Geno Smith, Bowers couldn't have the same production as he had in his rookie season. I doubt that will be the case with Mendoza, but I also don't know if he'll have the same success as he had in his first season.

Nov 30, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers (89) makes a touchdown catch against the Los Angeles Chargers during the first half at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

The Raiders' version of success shouldn't be dictated by wins or losses next season. Instead, they should be focusing on the progression of their rookie quarterback and how well he's adapting to the NFL. Under Kubiak, he should have quarterback-friendly schemes and a lot of play-action passes to get him wide-open passes and get his confidence up as well.

A large chunk of that money should go towards fixing that offensive line, but Mendoza needs a number one target he can hit downfield. As good as Bowers is as a contested catcher, he isn't going to be the guy running seam routes and go routes for Mendoza every single time. That's why I believe Kubiak will want to go for a receiver like Alec Pierce or another budding star in free agency to replicate some of the success Darnold had with Jaxon Smith-Njigba.

Aug 20, 2024; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak during practice at Yulman Stadium (Tulane). Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images | Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

Just because Kubiak is going to be their next head coach doesn't mean that the Raiders will become the Seahawks of the AFC, but I expect him to handle Mendoza like he did Darnold. They have similar traits, and while Darnold's arm may be capable of hitting bigger throws, I think Kubiak is going to do a lot with Mendoza's accuracy and poise to make the Raiders offense efficient and precise.

2026 or even 2027 may not be the Raiders' year, but there will come a time when all of their players peak at the right moment, and the Raiders will make a run for the AFC West. Under Kubiak, that hypothetical becomes a reality, and that's why they're so set up for the future. They have the right man for the job.

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