Feb 25, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Las Vegas Raiders general manager John Spytek on radio row during the NFL Scouting Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Updating Raiders Salary Cap Space After the Draft

Originally posted on Las Vegas Raiders on SI
By Brock Vierra | Last updated May 5, 2025 2:00 PM ET

The Raiders were not quiet during the first year of the John Spytek era, making a massive trade for Geno Smith and then supplementing his roster with 11 selections in the NFL Draft.

Despite all the moves, the Raiders have one of the best cap situations in the NFL as according to Overthecap.com, the team has $36.8 million.

Geno Smith has the highest cap hit of $40 million, closely followed by Maxx Crosby at $38.1 million. The good news is that after Crosby, the next biggest hit is Christian Wilkins at $18.1 million. That $20 million gap between the team's second and third highest-paid players directly contributed to their increased cap space.

The Raiders are also not paying premium prices for the premium positions of wide receiver, tackle, and cornerback.

The team's highest-paid receiver on the team is Jakobi Meyers at $14.9 million. The highest-paid left tackle is Kolton Miller at $15.6 million. The Raiders' highest-paid defensive back is safety Jeremy Chinn at $6.6 million.

Also, Crosby's cap hit isn't bad compared to the top earners at their positions. The highest-paid edge player is earning $40 million, which puts Crosby at the top, but his deal runs through 2029 and his deal is front-loaded so his hit will gradually decrease as the market increases the price for others.

During the final three years of Crosby's deal, his hit is under $30 million.

The Raiders also have $44 million in dead cap. Current Los Angeles Rams Jimmy Garoppolo and Davante Adams make up the lion's share at a combined $28.5 million. Gardner Minshew adds $7.6 million, Andre James adds $7.2 million, and 2023 third-round draft pick Byron Young adds $561,348 to round out the dead cap.

The Raiders are expected to pay out about $17 million to sign their draft class with Ashton Jeanty expected to account for $6.5 million against the cap.

The Raiders are financially healthy as they have $119 million in space entering 2026 with Smith on an excellent deal. Smith signed a two-year extension with the Raiders that sees his cap hit below $27 million in 2026 and below $40 million in 2027.

The Raiders and Spytek have a lot of flexibility as he looks to continue the construction of a championship roster.

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

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