Kubiak, Raiders Hoping to Find a Few Pleasant Roster Surprises

Once the NFL Draft comes and goes, the Las Vegas Raiders' offseason will hit the field to begin installing all of the many changes that have come over the past few months. The next couple of months will be some of the most critical months of the year for the Raiders.

Positive Roster Surprise

The Raiders need more than just the best players on the roster to step up this upcoming season, as it is fair to assume they will do so. Las Vegas will need some of their lesser-known players to overproduce this upcoming season as well. This will require them to continue adding more talent.

Aside from the players Las Vegas added in free agency, and their 10 draft picks, the Raiders' roster is made up of mainly the same roster from 2025. Whether it be a draft pick, or a returning Raiders player, Las Vegas will need all hands on deck in 2026, as there will undoubtedly be a learning curve.

Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak recently noted the multistep process Las Vegas has, starting with the draft. The additional 10 players set to arrive at the end of April will be another wave of talent, but also another wave of unknowns, and questions without answers.

“We got to go draft them first. So, I think between now and then, just making sure that we make the right decision with that first draft pick is going to be really important. But whether it's the first pick or the last pick, you always love working with young players," Kubiak said at the league's Annual Meetings.

Kubiak elaborated, explaining how crucial it will be for lesser-known players to make a name for themselves in any given season. During his many stops in the National Football League, Kubiak noted that every team had players who were surprisingly productive.

“I think that every team I've ever been on, there's just players that surprise you. For instance, last year, Jax [Jaxon Smith-Njigba] -- he wasn't supposed to be an outside receiver. I thought he did a pretty good job last year. So, you're just finding what guys do best and trying to use their abilities to help the team," Kubiak said.

Las Vegas' roster will be filled with young players looking to establish themselves in the league. Kubiak and his new coaching staff must do their due diligence on the players they have inherited. They must identify the right players to add viat the upcoming NFL Draft.

Then, the Raiders' new coaching staff can begin developing their roster from the top down, while searching for players with untapped potential. Las Vegas has several players that check off both of those boxes. Las Vegas must continue looking for roster diamonds in the rough.