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

1 Free Agent the Raiders Must Bring Back

Originally posted on Las Vegas Raiders on SI
By Fernando Alfaro-Donis | Last updated Mar 4, 2026 6:00 AM ET

The Las Vegas Raiders roster is going to look wildly different next season, with a new mind leading the charge on their rebuild. Pete Carroll brought in a lot of players from his days coaching the Seattle Seahawks.

Klint Kubiak and Carroll share that connection, so it'll be interesting to see if he brings any of the players from the team that just won the Super Bowl. Kenneth Walker III is right there for the taking, but I digress. What's one free agent that Kubiak should prioritize in his first offseason with the Silver and Black?

Highest Graded Cornerbacks

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Mason Cameron writes for Pro Football Focus, and he wrote an article breaking down the highest graded cornerbacks of the 2025 season. Just barely making the list is Eric Stokes, one of the few signings that Carroll got right in his short-lived tenure with the team.

"Stokes struggled to live up to his first-round billing through much of his career with the Packers. While the Raiders weren’t a terribly strong defensive unit, Stokes excelled in a starting role for the first time in his NFL career", said Cameron.

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It's not about how you start, but how you finish. Stokes may have flamed out with the team that selected him with a first-round pick, but I believe he found his home in Las Vegas. In a season where there wasn't much to cheer for, Stokes lock down coverage provided Raider Nation some of the best enjoyment of their 2025 season.

"The 26-year-old cornerback played solid coverage on the outside, showing poise and control to not bite on double moves and limit chunk yardage. He was one of just two players to surrender 15 or more yards on less than 1% of his receptions allowed, a mark that helped him limit opposing receivers to just 0.47 yards allowed per coverage snap against him — the lowest rate in the NFL".

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While Stokes hasn't caught an interception since his rookie season, he makes his impact in other ways. Opposing quarterbacks didn't look his way without their passes going awry, as he barely gave up any big plays. On a defense that was one of the worst in the NFL last season, that's a luxury to have moving forward.

The Raiders have plenty of cap space to offer Stokes a serviceable contract, and he can be a building block alongside Darien Porter to flesh out their secondary. Kubiak would be doing a disservice to his new team if he lets Stokes walk in free agency.

This article first appeared on Las Vegas Raiders on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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