One Thing the Raiders Cannot Get Wrong in 2026 Draft

The Las Vegas Raiders are facing a pivotal draft as they look to turn around one of the worst rosters in the National Football League. A strong start to free agency helped the Raiders' roster improve over 2025, but Las Vegas still needs much more talent to make up for years of failed roster moves.

Those years of failed moves culminated in the 2025 season, when the Raiders went 3-14 and posted a 10-game losing streak. Las Vegas' front office has made moves this offseason that they hope will make that a distant memory.

Raiders' Opportunity

Las Vegas has a long way to go, but a strong haul in the NFL Draft paired with their moves in free agency would be a large, tangible step forward. The Raiders have made progress on their coaching staff and roster, but their offseason plans were heavily centered around the draft.

The Raiders have 10 opportunities to improve their team in the draft. Fernando Mendoza will be the first of those 10. Then, Las Vegas' front office must find the right collection of talent. Raiders assistant general manager Brian Stark recently explained the collaboration process.

"I think it's an incredible opportunity that I have here with the relationship I have with Spy [John Spytek], with the interaction we've been able to have with the ownership group. It's an organization that is very forward-thinking and is highly motivated to be a championship organization,” Stark said.

“I think that we're fortunate here that the people in charge, they understand that you need to hear your people, you need to take input, you need to take different perspectives. Plenty of my suggestions are like, 'No, I'm not going to do that,' but that's fine."

“I don't take it personal, and it's a great opportunity, because for me, it's been an opportunity to grow to be able to be involved in so much and to be exposed to so many different things and to be able to find my voice a little bit more too and express myself a little bit better. So, it's been a great opportunity here."

The Raiders' front office has seemed to be on the same page every step of the way this offseason. The draft is yet another opportunity for the front office to display their unison. Las Vegas absolutely must walk away from the draft with multiple immediate or relatively immediate contributors.

Raiders Must Connect

The one thing Las Vegas cannot afford in this year's NFL Draft is not to find at least one player or two, other than Mendoza, that can contribute sooner rather than later. The Raiders' plan to sit Mendoza behind Kirk Cousins means their first-round pick will have no impact for some time.

After a subpar rookie season for most of the Raiders' 2025 rookie class, assembling a 2026 class that fails to make an impact would negatively impact the Raiders in 2026 and beyond. Las Vegas' front office needs one or two rookies who can make an impact right away.

If Jack Bech, Darien Porter, and Caleb Rogers fail to make an impact in 2026, Las Vegas' 2026 rookie class will be under even more of a microscope. The Raiders cannot afford to produce a 2026 draft class that sits on the sidelines for most of the season, as the 2025 class did.

Pete Carroll was largely to blame for that last season. However, Carroll is gone now, and the same people who made the picks last season are doing so again this season. Las Vegas' draft haul must collectively have more of an impact than the 2025 class did, and they must do so sooner.

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