Ranking the Raiders' Top 30 2026 Players: No. 11

The Las Vegas Raiders made no shortage of moves this offseason to help improve a bad roster. Las Vegas' combined seven wins in the past two seasons were enough for general manager John Spytek and the Raiders' front office to make wholesale changes to the Raiders' coaching staff and roster.

Rise of the Raiders' Roster

This offseason was defined by those moves, as the Raiders added talent across the board. Las Vegas has suffered from a lack of talent in recent seasons, but that should be less of a concern moving forward as the Raiders continue to build their roster under first-year head coach Klint Kubiak.

Las Vegas has taken gradual steps this offseason that warrant cautious optimism about the upcoming season. Still, it must be remembered that optimism is based on the idea that the 2026 Raiders' main competition is the 2025 Raiders.

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' Top 30 2026 Players: No. 11 QB Kirk Cousins

The Raiders handed Tyler Linderbaum a record-breaking contract for an interior offensive lineman. They also signed Nakobe Dean and Quay Walker in a pair of coinciding moves that should significantly improve their defense. Las Vegas made several big splashes this offseason.

While those splashes were noteworthy and all but sure to help the Raiders improve at critical positions on both sides of the ball, the addition of veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins was quietly a significant signing for Klint Kubiak and the Raiders' offense this upcoming season.

The addition of Cousins may not seem significant to those on the outside looking in, but given the many ways Cousins helps Las Vegas' coaching staff and their short- and long-term goals, Cousins' addition will benefit the Raiders in several ways.

Cousins has prior ties to Kubiak and Janocko, as all three worked together with the Minnesota Vikings. Cousins had some of his best seasons as a professional during that time. Since then, he has faced some adversity. His prior ties to Kubiak and that adversity will bode well for Las Vegas.

“When I look back, Mike Shanahan had a line early in my career where he would say, ‘Tough times don't last. Tough people do.’ And at the time, I had had some challenges in football in the past, too, but I don't think I fully knew what that meant. And I think I've had to live it, getting benched a couple times, tearing an Achilles, changing teams,” Cousins said.

“I've made a lot of mistakes on the field, had a lot of success, and so you learn what it means to just get back on the horse each day and keep going, and to not quit, not give up, keep trying to find a way until the mission is accomplished."

Assuming he stays healthy, Cousins' vast experience is set to come in handy. Cousins has more starts than nearly all of the seven quarterbacks the Raiders have started since the 2023 season. That alone is good news for a Raiders offense that will be very different from last season's.

Cousins' experience will help Kubiak and Janocko get their tenures off the ground with a quarterback they know, rather than a rookie. This will give Las Vegas a chance to start off strong with a favorable first four games of the season. It cannot be overstated how critical this is for the Raiders.

Las Vegas has had terrible starts to the season over the past three years, which have eventually given way to poor seasons overall. As they look to turn things around under Kubiak, that is one of the many things that must change. Kubiak, Janocko, and Cousins are in a position to help ensure it does.

With games against the Miami Dolphins, Los Angeles Chargers, New Orleans Saints, and the Kansas City Chiefs, likely without Patrick Mahomes, Las Vegas can avoid another disastrous start. That would be a lot less likely without Cousins beginning the season as the starting quarterback.

In addition to his ability to help Las Vegas start strong, Cousins is also a vital part of Fernando Mendoza's development during his rookie season. The veteran has plenty of knowledge to impart to the rookie, and the longer Cousins can play, the longer Mendoza can develop with little pressure.

Las Vegas is not expected to push for a playoff spot, but success is relative. All this year's Raiders need to be is better than they were last season. Kubiak has already made it clear what he expects from his new team, as Las Vegas inches closer to training camp.

“It starts with your effort, the way you attack, and then it's very team-first, team-focused, making sure we put the team first, we play together as a team. A phrase he used in the team meeting yesterday was to ‘ride for the brand,’ meaning that you're kind of doing whatever it takes to help our organization move forward in the right direction,” Cousins said.

“So, that was really what he led with in the team meeting, was just the importance of truly being a team, playing together, and then playing with shocking effort, I believe, was the word he used. And that's something that will be coached as long as they're here, it's going to be coached every day."

Heading into this season, Cousins is undoubtedly one of the Raiders' best players. Las Vegas' front office and coaching staff hope Cousins is able to carry a decent amount of the load this season. It is undeniably a tall task, but Cousins was arguably the best quarterback available this offseason.

At the very least, Cousins was the best quarterback Las Vegas could realistically acquire. The talent the Raiders have added on both sides of the ball should make it easier for Cousins to carry that load than it has been for each of the seven quarterbacks Las Vegas has started since 2023.

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