Raiders’ 2026 rookie draft class: John Spytek kicks off the Klint Kubiak era by acing his second-ever draft
The Las Vegas Raiders are walking away from the 2026 NFL Draft with a good draft class. This is the best way to start the Klint Kubiak era.
The Las Vegas Raiders started the 2026 NFL Draft off with a bang by selecting the guy everyone knew they would take. Then, they continued their strong draft by loading up on defense and making some really good offensive moves.
So, let’s get into the final draft class.
Las Vegas Raiders’ 2026 draft class
Round 1, No. 1: Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana
This was a known pick for the last year, it felt like. Of course, the Raiders have known they would likely take Fernando Mendoza for a few months, as they went through the process all the way. However, it has felt like this match made in heaven would never happen. It’s finally here.
Round 2, No. 38: Treydan Stukes, S, Arizona
The Raiders have three safeties on the roster. They have Isaiah Pola-Mao, Jeremy Chinn, and Tristin McCollum. Here’s the catch, though. All of them are box-like safeties, where they do their best work closer to the line of scrimmage. They can’t really cover well. The other side of this is that they are all three on one-year deals for this season. There is no way they bring all three back. Stukes is a very athletic mover and has as fluid a set of hips as it gets. Oftentimes, when a safety is turning, there is lag, or their speed slows down, but you don’t really get that with Stukes. To make things even better, Stukes is exceptional at recovering to undercut late throws. Stukes has some of the best instincts in the draft, too, especially when the ball is in the air.
Round 3, No. 67: Keyron Crawford, EDGE, Auburn
Crawford is a raw prospect who hasn’t played football for very long. However, he’s got great size for someone who will likely play at that 5T-7 technique position. He’s just under 6’5, and 253 pounds. Crawford has 32” arms and 9” hands, so the measurables are good. There is an issue, though. The Raiders spent a third-round pick on him when they likely shouldn’t have, based on what we know about the roster. There’s a logjam on the edge, but he can find his way to playing time. Crawford does have some good traits, though. Crawford has an elite first step off the line. He’s quick and converts that speed well in his pass rush. He has some good bend and knows how to use his speed on plays when he knows he will be outpowered. But one of his best traits is how hard he plays. You won’t find many guys with a motor like him on every play.
Round 3, No. 91: Trey Zuhn, OG, Texas A&M
Zuhn played just about every single position on the offensive line last year alone. But for the Raiders, he will play guard. His shorter arms and tall frame will make it hard for him to become an NFL starting tackle. As a guard, though, he can definitely start. He’s 6’6, 312 pounds, but extremely athletic. There is an issue with this pick, though. The Raiders just drafted Jackson Powers-Johnson two years ago. He’s proved that he can be elite, and even when he’s not at his best, he’s still very good. They then spent a third-round pick on Caleb Rogers last season. He played 280 total snaps last season. In this offseason, they re-signed Jordan Meredith, who had a bad 2025 at center. However, in 2024, at guard, he was pretty good. Then they signed Spencer Burford in free agency, who has started 38 career games. So, they have now drafted an offensive guard on Day 2, three years in a row. Don’t get me wrong, Zuhn can be elite, but I’m not sure what the plan is. Zuhn has some of the best first-step quickness off the snap that you will see on the interior in this class. He does have a great anchor for pass pro when he’s on the inside, when he’s on the outside, not so much. He handles speed and spins well on the interior and is very good at hand resetting.
Round 4, No. 101: Jermod McCoy, CB, Tennessee
McCoy is almost 6’1, and 190 pounds. He has 31″ arms and is blazing fast. His Pro Day workouts at Tennessee not too long ago surprised everyone, as he looked like he could go out and play today. He ran a 4.37 40-yard dash at his Pro Day. The Raiders are getting a player with first-round talent in the fourth round. But there’s a catch, just like there always is. The Raiders needed another cornerback, especially if Darien Porter doesn’t turn into what they think he will. In that regard, they’re addressing a need. They got a first-round talent in the fourth round. Those two things alone would make this pick an A+. However, the knee issue is very scary. That alone drops this down to a B for me.
Round 4, No. 122: Mike Washington Jr., RB, Arkansas
The Las Vegas Raiders balanced their draft out with an offensive pick in Mike Washington Jr., the former Arkansas Razorbacks running back. Washington is 6’1, 223 pounds, and has 33-inch arms. He’s huge, massive some would say, but does not move that way at all. The way he moves, you’d think he’s smaller. Given the typically brief careers for the position and the load Jeanty took last year, it is analytically prudent for Kubiak to reduce Jeanty’s workload. Washington can be that perfect backup and 1-2 punch to Jeanty, similar to what Kubiak had with Kenneth Walker and Zach Charbonnet. The Raiders moved up to get their guy, and there’s a strong possibility he wouldn’t have been there at No. 134, where they were before the trade. There were several teams ahead of them that had a need at running back. Washington may not be able to be a starting RB in the NFL right away, but he can certainly be an amazing backup RB right away. This pick is perfect.
Round 5, No. 150: Dalton Johnson, S, Arizona
The Las Vegas Raiders have continued their defensive run by taking players in the secondary. They started with Arizona safety Treydan Stukes in the second round, then drafted Tennessee cornerback Jermod McCoy in the fourth round. Now, they’re taking Arizona safety Dalton Johnson in the fifth round. Johnson is just under 6’0, is 190 pounds, and has 31″ arms. He’s got decent length to help contest passes in the backend of the secondary. He’s pretty fast, too, as he ran a 4.41 40-yard dash. He also had a 1.59 10-yard split, 36″ vertical jump, and a 9’11” broad jump. Johnson is pretty athletic, and the Raiders needed another safety on this roster, even after Stukes, as they had only three prior to draft day.
Round 5, No. 175: Hezekiah Masses, CB, Cal
The Las Vegas Raiders went cornerback again, just to double up on the position in case McCoy’s injury situation ends up going a different direction. Masses can be an elite coverage guy, but he has a lot of work to do before we get there. I originally had his teammate, Brent Austin, as a Raiders seventh-round pick. Masses are very good, too.
Round 6, No. 195: Malik Benson, WR, Oregon
This shows that the Raiders really believe in their wide receiver room right now. There was a thought they would go WR on Day 2, and even in Round 2. The Raiders’ decision to wait to get Benson in the sixth shows they trust the room. But also, Benson can be a developmental deep threat, because he certainly has those tools.
Round 7, No. 229: Brandon Cleveland, DT, NC State
The Raiders needed another body in the defensive line room. However, we all thought the need was much bigger. They ended up waiting till their last pick. Cleveland is 6’4″ and 315 pounds and could be exactly what they need in terms of his frame. But there’s a lot to work on.
- Round 1, Pick No. 1: Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana
- Round 2, Pick No. 38: Treydan Stukes, S, Arizona
- Round 3, Pick No. 67: Keyron Crawford, EDGE, Auburn
- Round 3, Pick No. 91: Trey Zuhn, OG, Texas A&M
- Round 4, Pick No. 101: Jermod McCoy, CB, Tennessee
- Round 4, Pick No. 122: Mike Washington Jr., RB, Arkansas
- Round 5, Pick No. 150: Dalton Johnson, S, Arizona
- Round 5, Pick No. 175: Hezekiah Masses, CB, Cal
- Round 6, Pick No. 195: Malik Benson, WR, Oregon
- Round 7, Pick No. 229: Brandon Cleveland, DT, NC State
Final word
The Las Vegas Raiders are walking out of this draft as a much better team than the one that walked in. That’s all you could have asked for. However, the defense is significantly better than before, and the offense now has some legit players, including an elite backup RB and a potential starter at guard.
