Ranking the Raiders' Best 2026 Players: No. 20

The Las Vegas Raiders' productive offseason will be the first of many, as several of their moves in both free agency and the NFL Draft will impact the team for many years to come. Las Vegas' front office made several moves that improve the team and give them leverage moving forward.

The Raiders have set themselves up for a promising future by putting together the best offseason in many years. Las Vegas' solid offseason full of additions is just what they needed this summer, yet for all of the roster-related questions that were answered, more remain.

Raiders' Critical Defensive Backfield

The Raiders have undoubtedly improved on their coaching staff and on both sides of the ball. However, they have yet to confirm that on the field, where it matters the most. Las Vegas will soon take the field for training camp, which will give the best idea of how far they have come since January.

Las Vegas' progress has been notable and should lead to a solid 2026 season that proves the progress they have made on paper is real. Training camp is the next step in an offseason filled with moves that will help expedite the Raiders' rebuild.

Over the next few weeks, we will rank the top 30 players on the Raiders' roster. There will be no rookies on this list, as it is impossible to make the list with zero regular-season snaps.

Ranking the Raiders: No. 20, S Isaiah Pola-Mao

Entering the offseason, the Raiders lacked depth at safety, among other positions. Yet their lack of depth at safety could have a much more negative impact than their shortcomings at other positions. Las Vegas needed additional talent at safety for multiple reasons.

The Raiders will depend heavily on veteran safeties Isaiah Pola-Mao and Jeremy Chinn in 2026, and possibly beyond. Still, they needed additional dependable talent on the roster behind them, as the Raiders aim to be more versatile on both offense and defense.

With Pola-Mao, Chinn, and the additional talent that was added to Las Vegas' defensive backfield this offseason, the Raiders' defense has improved just as much, if not more than, the offensive side of the ball. However, that will only be the case if Pola-Mao continues to improve his play.

Pola-Mao gives the Raiders a dependable starter at safety, but like every other player, Pola-Mao has room to improve ahead of the 2026 season. It appears he has made those improvements, but training camp will be the true test. Defensive coordinator Rob Leonard explained his plans for the unit.

“It's always important. It's a matchup league, you can't out-scheme people all day, and that's really important. But at the same time, you have to be careful with progression of bringing players along,” Leonard said.

“You think they can handle one or two spots, well maybe we just start them off with one spot, then with the vision to build that way. So, you need to know this, and then maybe down the road, and that's a case-by-case scenario based on the player. But being multiple is important.”

Pola-Mao is a significant part of the Raiders' hopes and plans of becoming a more versatile defense. Even with the additional talent that was added to Las Vegas' defensive backfield, not having Pola-Mao available for any reason would be problematic. Las Vegas needs a productive season from him.

The Raiders added talent to nearly every position group on the roster. Specifically, those additions on defense should help Pola-Mao and the rest of the defensive backfield tremendously. Additional speed and talent at linebacker and along the defensive line bode well for the secondary.

“If it's up, it's ours. It's hard right now in the offseason staying up, but you can see when a guy's in a position to make a play, anticipation out of breaks. That's why I think individual is so important, giving the coaches their indy [individual] time to rep change of direction,” Leonard said.

“Not taking anything for granted. They're not just doing schematic type things, but putting them in position to do things that they would do in a game, so that they can confidently do it and attack the ball, that's what's really important.”

During the 2026 season, and as the Raiders move forward into next offseason, the play of Pola-Mao and Chinn will be a significant factor in the team's future. Pola-Mao has gradually grown into a player that a competent Raiders' coaching staff could develop into a solid starter moving forward.

Las Vegas' defensive backfield is arguably the position group with the most questions remaining. Those questions, especially at the safety position, will center around their play on the field and, for Pola-Mao, their future with the team. That is essentially what this season will amount to for him.

It is a contract season for Pola-Mao. Players generally play their best when that is the case. Now, in addition to his personal motivation, the Raiders have also provided Pola-Mao with the best teammates and coaching staff he has had since joining the team.

Those moves make the team as a whole better, but they also make certain players' jobs easier. In theory, this should be the case for Pola-Mao and the rest of Las Vegas' defensive backfield, which should lead to a solid season for the veteran and the position group.

No matter what happens in the 2026 season, it seems impossible that Pola-Mao's play will factor into the success or lack thereof for the Raiders' defense. Las Vegas is depending on many new coaches and players across the board in 2026, but it still needs holdovers such as Pola-Mao to produce.

The Raiders answered plenty of questions about the coaching staff and roster this offseason. Now the questions shift from what the Raiders will do at certain positions to how the moves they made will pan out on the football field. Time will tell how things turn out in Las Vegas, but several puzzle pieces have to fall in place for success.

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