Inside Las Vegas Raiders’ 2026 NFL Draft: 3 Key Takeaways

HENDERSON, Nev.—The true test of a successful NFL Draft comes ten years down the road; that is a statement of fact in which reasonable people can all agree.

But there are things that can be evaluated today, shortly after the event ends, that are totally germane and fair to place under the microscope. We endeavor to do that today.

Las Vegas Raiders minority owner Tom Brady | Darrell Craig Harris, On SI

Reality

Tom Brady is the dominant voice in this organization. That is a fact, but to his credit, it doesn’t mean he is the only voice, far from it.

Brady picked General Manager John Spytek for his role, and under the guidance of the second-year leader, a clear pattern has emerged that tells the story of how this franchise is evolving. It is a clear picture with a promising future.

Looking Back, to Look Forward

No one disputes the greatness of the Raiders franchise. It is iconic, and it shaped the legacy of professional sports, not just the NFL.

But over the past two-plus decades, that identity has sadly waned, at times gotten off track, and been gone.

Apr 24, 2026; Henderson, NV, USA; Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Fernando Mendoza at the Festival of Football at the Intermountain Health Performance Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

It would be untrue and disingenuous to place all the blame on Mark Davis. As the legendary Al Davis grew older, the franchise lost the once-steel-jawed commitment that the league feared, and it faded.

Mark inherited a team struggling for identity.

Las Vegas Raiders owner Mark Davis | Darrell Craig Harris, On S

Mark finally decided that Tom Brady’s voice was what he felt the team needed and trusted the greatest quarterback of all time to fix the franchise.

Great Recognizes Great?

Brady never wore the Raiders logo on his helmet, but he is now a minority owner and the loudest voice internally.

Mark Davis, Tom Brady — Oct 8, 2023; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Aces owner Mark Davis and part-owner Tom Brady talk before the game between the Las Vegas Aces and the New York Liberty during game one of the 2023 WNBA Finals at Michelob Ultra Arena. Mandatory Credit: Candice Ward-Imagn Images | Candice Ward-Imagn Images

Brady’s name is synonymous with greatness in the NFL, and having grown up in the Bay Area of California (San Mateo), he may have grown up a San Francisco 49ers fan, but he was smart enough to recognize that greatness the Silver and Black used to epitomize may have been dormant, but it wasn’t dead.

With a true commitment to excellence, it could be revived.

The Resurgence

John Spytek, Fernando Mendoza, | Darrell Craig Harris, On SI

2025 was a season of total dysfunction for the Raiders. To the outside observer, it simply looked like “The same old Raiders,” but that would be to outsiders.

Those on the inside saw something completely different.

Raiders AGM Brian Stark | Darrell Craig Harris, On SI

With each loss, with each dysfunctional failure, Spytek took note. He had hired Brian Stark as AGM shortly after the 2025 NFL Draft. Brandon Hunt was VP of Player Personnel on May 15, 2025, joining Brandon Yeargan, who came in May of 2022, and Spytek was retained.

I will get into those three men in more detail at a later date, but the moment Stark and Hunt arrived to round out Spytek’s team with Yeargan, things became different, quickly.

Three Big Takeaways From 2026

As the 2026 NFL Draft came into focus, there were three enormous takeaways from the Raiders' approach and the direction that Spytek was leading the franchise.

Now that it is over, we share those with you.

Brandon Yeargan | Darrell Craig Harris, On SI

No. 1: Listening is Now Popular

Two different college head coaches, independent of each other, told me, when I asked whether anything had stood out about the Silver and Black scouts during this cycle, that the Raiders were “Great listeners.”

One coach went as far as to say, “In the past, sometimes it was like they talked to you to check off a box that they had spoken to me, but not this year.”

Brandon Hunt, Brandon Yeargan | Darrell Craig Harris, On SI

He went on to add, “They spoke to me, my staff, and anyone they could. And they asked great questions, shared some of their insights, and what they thought.”

Addionally adding, “They were great to have around.”

Brian Stark, John Spytek | Darrell Craig Harris, On SI

I was able to confirm that the Raiders had indeed set out during this metamorphosis to become better listeners. One long-time and successful NFL Scout told me when I asked him about the Raiders' new approach, “People want to talk and share, we all love ball, but you have to listen for them to speak. Seems simple, but a lot of people complicate it.”

The Raiders (led by Spytek) love information. But it is one thing to get information, and another to know how to use it. Credit Spytek for addressing the need to get it and for figuring out how to use it.

GM John Spytek, Fernando Mendoza, Klint Kubiak | Darrell Craig Harris, On SI

On Saturday, I asked Yeargan about what the college coaches had told me, and he was pleased that they had noticed.

"That's a cool observation. I think that's a critical part of being a great scout is being a great listener and asking the right questions and giving space to get the information and make your own interpretation of that information. So, that's a really cool observation. I mean, that's something we prioritize for our scouts, is figuring out what questions to ask and also being receptive to the information too. So, that's a cool observation for sure."

Las Vegas Raiders GM John Spytek, Owner Mark Davis | Darrell Craig Harris, On SI

No. 2: Cash is King

The Raiders, before moving to Las Vegas, were not a wealthy franchise and had become known as cheap when it came to scouting.

With the finest stadium in the NFL, and the financial windfall due to Mark Davis and the business savvy of moving to the desert, those days are over.

Las Vegas Raiders Owner Mark Davis, GM John Spytek | Darrell Craig Harris, On SI

The new addition of the tremendously successful minority owners has additionally brought a new mindset.

The Raiders are not going to take the cheap route. It doesn’t mean they are going to waste money; they will spend whatever it takes to evaluate every player, anywhere, and to develop the artificial intelligence (AI), facility, hardware, and tools to successfully evaluate.

Apr 24, 2026; Henderson, NV, USA; Las Vegas Raiders coach Klint Kubiak at press conference at Intermountain Health Performance Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Raiders are committed to understanding that the NFL Draft is a gamble, but the more money you invest in the selection process, the more you save by avoiding mistakes.

Las Vegas Raiders GM John Spytek | Darrell Craig Harris, On SI

No. 3: Multiple Classes

Another interesting angle we learned is that the Raiders have begun scouting all classes of college football.

Fernando Mendoza | Darrell Craig Harris, On SI

It doesn’t mean the Raiders never looked at guys not yet draft-eligible, but now they aren’t just looking at stars; they're focused on the entire college football landscape.

In today’s era of Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL), which is changing the landscape of college football, the Raiders are expanding their resources and staff to ensure no one falls through the cracks. They are under the Silver and Black microscope.

We reported before the Raiders had even kicked off the 2025 season, they had their eyes on Fernando Mendoza.

Sports Illustrated Fernando Mendoza | Sports Illustrated Fernando Mendoza

Coming out of 2024 and entering 2025 set the stage.

When Mendoza chose Indiana University and the hard coaching of Curt Cignetti over more money and schools with higher tradition, that stood out to the Spytek-led Silver and Black.

Ohio State Buckeyes linebacker Sonny Styles (0) hits Indiana Hoosiers quarterback Fernando Mendoza (15) during the first half of the Big Ten Conference championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on Dec. 6, 2025. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

I asked Spytek about that on Thursday night, and he told me, "I mean, it's part of it, like everything we do. I just saw a kid that was hungry and willing to bet on himself and wanted a great opportunity to compete against the best. I think the Big Ten is the best conference in football right now. And he showed exactly that, that he was that."

John Spytek | Darrell Craig Harris, On SI

The Raiders now understand that, as college football evolves, the successful NFL franchise will evolve as well. The commitment to evaluating all classes ensures that no one slips through the cracks and no skill set is overlooked.

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