Following NFL Draft, Raiders Look to Raise Roster Floor

In my years watching the NFL, I have seen teams tinker with new ideas of roster construction and team-building. Some of them succeeded, such as the Detroit Lions and Los Angeles Rams post-Super Bowl LVI, and the Jacksonville Jaguars are the most recent example in the AFC. The keys to these organizations that the Raiders must follow are, again, finding a way to raise the floor, meaning adding as much depth and youth as possible.

This allows the team to get younger, adds more competition, and brings out the best in each player. It sounds cliché, but I've seen it work.

One team that comes to mind is the Carolina Panthers—just a few years ago, they were the worst team in football due to a lack of talent and depth across the board. In 2024, General Manager Dan Morgan was hired, and his first move was to add depth and youth at key positions for the first two years. He has now positioned the team to be a potential contender in 2026 after a strong offseason filled with aggressive moves.

Raiders Must Learn Lessons From NFL Counterparts

Raiders general manager John Spytek and head coach Klint Kubiak are smart men and have likely seen from afar just how important building depth is for sustained success. The lessons from their NFL counterparts in Los Angeles, Jacksonville, Detroit, and Carolina provide the playbook for getting Las Vegas back on the map as a contender.

Drafting Mendoza to be the future of the franchise is a start. The talent and depth they acquired through the draft, whether it was the Arizona Wildcats safety tandem or the later-round selections of Malik Benson and Brandon Cleveland, will provide the Raiders with a new floor to build on as they begin to lay the foundation. The vision is there, as Spytek, Kubiak, and minority owner Tom Brady must take advantage.