Raiders GM John Spytek says the quiet part out loud regarding Las Vegas’ biggest roster issue days before the 2026 NFL Draft
The Las Vegas Raiders may need to walk out of the 2026 NFL Draft with at least two safeties, as GM John Spytek signaled something will have to be done.
When you look at this team’s roster, there is one glaring hole. Their biggest issue is undoubtedly having only one behind them with very little experience. But this isn’t new—general manager John Spytek addressed the issue with the media on Tuesday.
“We have three safeties on the roster now,” Spytek said when asked about his thoughts on the safety room and the class during the pre-draft press conference.
“That’s just a math equation that we should add one to, and it’s a very good safety class. Obviously, it’s something we have to attack, and I’m glad the class looks the way it does.”
Raiders have to address the safety issue in the draft at least once, maybe twice
The team must draft at least one safety who can cover and step in if Jeremy Chinn and Isaiah Pola-Mao depart. The Raiders just tendered an exclusive-rights tender to Tristin McCollum, adding some of the same depth they had last season. With three safeties on the roster, they need about three more. And, McCollum cannot be the guy to take over for Pola-Mao and Chinn.
McCollum, who previously played for the Texans and Eagles, joined the Raiders last season. He logged 142 snaps, including 92 in coverage, with his playing time spiking to 30 coverage snaps each in Weeks 9 and 18. He finished the year with just nine tackles and allowed only three catches on four targets for 28 yards in coverage. The biggest play he gave up was a 19-yarder, and he surrendered a total of 15 Yards After the Catch (YAC).
Another issue here is that the Raiders have met with only five safeties in this pre-draft process. One of those is Caleb Downs, too, and there is no way they draft Downs. Well, unless they trade back into the high end of the first round. They have met with Arizona safety Treydan Stukes, Arizona safety Genesis Smith, Wofford safety Maximus Pulley, and USC safety Kamari Ramsey.
And just because they have met with those guys, it doesn’t mean they will draft one. They will more than likely draft someone they haven’t met with than someone they have. Either way, it feels like the Raiders need to come away with two safeties out of this draft. They have a specific need that fans need to be on the lookout for, though.
The Raiders need a safety that can cover. Right now, their two starters are both guys who don’t really excel at that. Pola-Mao allowed 13 catches on 27 targets for 216 yards and three touchdowns. Chinn, who played fewer coverage snaps and was in the box more often, wasn’t much better. He allowed 16 catches on 22 targets but for just 144 yards and four touchdowns.
They should be looking for a safety in that second to fourth round range in terms of someone who may have the ability to play as a rotational third safety in this defense. Some of the guys who kind of fit their scheme are Ramsey, Stukes, Smith, Bud Clark, Jalen Kilgore, VJ Payne, Keionte Scott, Jakobe Thomas, and AJ Haulcy. If they can land one of these guys, they could very well have their future cover safety.
