The Raiders Will Soon Lay the Foundation's Next Layer

The Las Vegas Raiders' rebuild is understandably expected to take some time. However, 2026 will be the next step in taking the next step.

Feb 25, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Las Vegas Raiders general manager John Spytek speaks during the NFL Scouting Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Las Vegas Raiders have a plan for rebuilding their roster. They have already begun making moves to make room for the moves they are about to make. Entering his second season as the Raiders' general manager, John Spytek is primed to leave his mark on the Raiders and their roster.

Apr 25, 2024; Detroit, MI, USA; A Las Vegas Raiders logo at the 2024 NFL Draft at Campus Martius Park and Hart Plaza. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Next Step

The Raiders' 3-14 campaign that led to Pete Carroll's firing and Las Vegas cleaning house among its coaching staff may be classified as a failure on paper. However, if the 2025 season went any differently than it did, Las Vegas would still be on its quarterback carousel.

Las Vegas landing the No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft and likely securing Fernando Mendoza made the 2025 season worth it. In a round about way, that is a solid year one for Spytek. His second season as the Raiders' general manager gives him a chance to add the next layer of the Raiders' rebuild.

Apr 25, 2025; Henderson, NV, USA; (L-R) Las Vegas Raiders head coach Pete Carroll, Ashton Jeanty and general manager John Spytek during a news conference introducing Jeanty as the first round draft pick in the 2025 NFL Draft at Intermountain Health Performance Center. Mandatory Credit: Candice Ward-Imagn Images | Candice Ward-Imagn Images

Spytek enters his second season as a general manager with $100 million in cap space and four first-round draft picks between this year's NFL Draft and next year's, plus many other picks. Any general manager would love to have those types of resources, especially early in their tenure with a team.

Spytek inherited more roster problems than many first-time general managers would like to walk into. He took on a job that many others have failed at in recent memory. He now has all the necessary tools to fix mistakes that were made long before he arrived but have still plagued Las Vegas' roster.

Feb 24, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Las Vegas Raiders general manager John Spytek speaks at the NFL Scouting Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Next season will be another step in the Raiders' turnaround, which is expected to take several seasons. However, year two under Spytek is a pivotal part of that rebuild. Las Vegas must have a productive draft and free agency period and secure multiple players who will be around for a while.

Spytek recently explained how last season's draft class was the first step in Las Vegas' turnaround. It was far from pretty, but the 2025 Raiders and everything that happened helped set up the next era of Raiders football nicely. Spytek knows that both the good and bad are a part of the rebuild.

Feb 27, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza (QB11) speaks to members of the media during the NFL Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Jacob Musselman-Imagn Images | Jacob Musselman-Imagn Images

"It's a testament to our scouts and the work that they do to build it the right way, to find the right kind of human first, and that's why I keep saying, you guys that are in Vegas with us, I believe in those guys. They're about the right things,” Spytek said at the NFL Combine.

“That was really important to me for the first draft that I had a chance to run in Las Vegas, that we find the right kind of people because we're playing the long game here, and I'm betting on the growth that those guys will have because they're about the right things."