The Las Vegas Raiders’ Offseason Phase 2: Draft Approach

The Las Vegas Raiders have 10 picks, a No. 1 overall, and no more excuses. This is how they build—or blow—their best shot at a real rebuild.

One of the key differences in team-building strategies is the emphasis on building through the draft rather than free agency. Good teams draft well and retain their homegrown talent, maintaining cost-controlled players for up to four years at a fraction of what free agents command on the open market.

Free agents are expensive, temporary additions. The majority of contracts carry only two years of guaranteed money, with the remaining years serving as little more than contract padding. That reality is precisely why the positions a team targets in the draft signal a higher level of long-term value and importance to the team’s core identity.

Since the league year opened, the Raiders have added a notable wave of free agents, signing center Tyler Linderbaum, linebackers Quay Walker and Nakobe Dean, defensive end Kwity Paye, wide receiver Jalen Nailor, quarterback Kirk Cousins, guards Spencer Burford and Segun Olubi, tight end Conner Hayward, wide receiver Dareke Young, cornerbacks Taron Johnson and Eric Stokes, and kicker Matt Gay.

Remaining offensive needs for the Raiders

On paper, the Raiders have multiple remaining needs on offense, starting at the most important position on the field. Securing the best quarterback prospect available, one who fits the current organizational direction, is the top priority heading into draft weekend. Fernando Mendoza has emerged as the consensus No. 1 overall pick and is widely considered a foregone conclusion at the top of the board.

Protection up front remains another area of focus. While Mendoza’s blind side appears secure, right tackle is a different story. Questions surrounding Delmar Glaze’s lateral movement and his ability to neutralize speed rushers persist, making it necessary to add a player capable of competing for and eventually winning the starting role.

The backfield also needs attention. Ashton Jeanty projects as the bell cow, but a running back by committee has long been a staple of Klint Kubiak’s offensive system. As currently constructed, Jeanty and Dylan Laube are the only backs on the depth chart, making it essential to add at least two more. The ideal additions would be one physical, downhill bruiser and one one-cut back with patience and vision between the tackles.

At wide receiver, the additions of Jalen Nailor and Dareke Young provide solid depth and versatility as role players, but the Raiders are still missing a true No. 1 option. What this offense needs is a dominant receiver capable of drawing double teams, winning contested catches, running sharp and precise routes, and creating yards after the catch with reliable hands.

What about the defense?

Defensively, the Raiders addressed several needs in free agency, but a few gaps remain heading into the draft. The edge defender position is one of them. The younger players on the depth chart have yet to make a convincing case for expanded roles, and questions surrounding the veteran group linger as well. J.J. Pegues reportedly added weight to surpass 330 pounds during the offseason, but whether that bulk is sufficient to hold up as a true nose tackle at the NFL level remains to be seen.

The biggest question hanging over the entire defensive roster may be the health of Maxx Crosby. Publicly, the messaging has been optimistic, but a setback to his knee could dramatically alter the team’s outlook on that side of the ball. Conversely, if his recovery continues ahead of schedule, it raises an equally intriguing question of whether teams will still inquire about his availability, particularly as the draft unfolds and roster decisions come into focus.

Rob Leonard’s promotion to defensive coordinator, paired with a planned transition to a 3-4 base defense, has created a specific and pressing need for a zero or one-technique nose tackle. Few players currently on the roster fit the prototypical size requirements for the position. Pegues, Broderic Martin and Laki Tasi are the names most often mentioned, but Tasi is a former rugby player still developing his football instincts, and Martin has managed just one start and four solo tackles over three seasons.

The missing piece?

The Raiders still need one final piece to complete the defense: a ball-hawking, centerfield safety capable of roaming freely in coverage. The front seven has taken significant strides forward, and proven veterans now anchor the cornerback group both outside and in the slot. As previously noted, however, Isaiah Pola-Mao and Jeremy Chinn function best as box safeties and sub-package options, leaving a genuine void at the position the defense needs most.