Before the Raiders open the 2026 season against the Miami Dolphins, the easiest thing to do is be skeptical. Most prognosticators aren’t expecting much out of Las Vegas. But that doesn’t mean the year has to be empty.
This is a roster built around youth, and there’s room for a few players to make real jumps even if the wins don’t pile up. John Spytek has drafted 21 players over the last two years, so the developmental lane is wide open. With that in mind, here are three bold but still believable stat calls for the season ahead.
Jalen Nailor ends up leading the Raiders in receiving yards
The preseason didn’t do Nailor any favors. On his new three-year, $35 million deal, he finished the exhibition slate with three catches for 35 yards - the same numbers tied to the contract itself.
Still, there’s a difference between being the top target and being the top producer in yards. Tre Tucker looks like the Raiders’ No. 1 receiver and could lead the team in receptions, but Nailor’s big-play profile gives him a real path to the team lead in receiving yards.
He has averaged 15.1 yards per catch over the last two seasons, and if he keeps that kind of efficiency in a bigger role, 1,000 yards is in play. Tucker may also draw the opponent’s top cornerback if that defender isn’t locked onto tight end Brock Bowers, whenever he gets back to being healthy. That could leave Nailor working against the No. 2 cornerback more often, and that’s where a breakout can start.
Tonka Hemingway finishes second on the Raiders in sacks
Brian Stark has already made it clear who has impressed him most: Tonka Hemingway.
That matters because Hemingway has moved quickly from a limited role to a much bigger one. After playing only 32% of the defensive snaps last season, he earned a starting-rotation spot on the defensive line during organized team activities and held onto it through the preseason. That should translate into a far larger workload once the games count.
The Raiders are likely to use him heavily on passing downs, and there’s a reason for that. Hemingway posted 4.0 sacks from Weeks 14 through 18 last season. Listed at 6-foot-2 and 284 pounds on the team’s official site, he also has the flexibility to kick out to the edge at times, just as he did at South Carolina.
Jonah Laulu also had 4.0 sacks last season, but he did it while playing 68% of the defensive snaps. If Hemingway gets anywhere near that kind of usage, he has a chance to finish second on the team in sacks and become the Raiders’ most dangerous interior pass-rusher.
Treydan Stukes leads the defense in interceptions
Stukes had to climb his way into the job. He spent most of the spring with the second-team defense before working himself into a starting role by the end of training camp.
Now he’s at the top of the depth chart at safety next to Jeremy Chinn for Week 1, and the expectation is that he stays there. That gives the Raiders a player with a real chance to impact the game in the back end.
His ball skills are the selling point. In his final season at Arizona, he had six pass breakups and four interceptions while playing mostly in the slot and in the box, according to Pro Football Focus. With more responsibility in center field, he should have more chances to create turnovers for a secondary that needs exactly that kind of presence.
In Other News...
Raiders Suddenly Have A Quarterback Decision Seattle Could Complicate
Sam Darnolds hip injury has put the Seahawks in a holding pattern after he was sent for an MRI and team doctors continued reviewing the results to map out his recovery. Mike Macdonald has already ruled out a fracture, which at least narrows the concern, but Seattle is still weighing whether the injury could push Darnold onto short-term injured reserve and force the quarterback room to absorb a longer absence than it first appeared.
For the Raiders, that situation is worth watching because Seattles search for depth could ripple into the trade market and create a new layer to Las Vegas own quarterback decisions. The Seahawks have internal options in Drew Lock and Jalen Milroe, but the possibility of a move for Kirk Cousins has started to surface as they sort through their next step, and any serious pursuit there would be the kind of quarterback domino effect the Raiders cannot ignore. [Read more 🡒]
Raiders Just Opened The Door For A Bigger Roster Decision
The Raiders created some much-needed breathing room for the future this week, restructuring the contracts of Jalen Nailor and Quay Walker to open up about $8.2 million in 2026 salary cap space. It is the kind of move that does not grab headlines on its own, but it can shape everything that comes next, especially for a team trying to keep its options open as roster planning starts to come into focus.
With the added flexibility, Las Vegas now sits at roughly $11.5 million in available cap space for 2026, enough to leave the front office room to maneuver if a trade opportunity or free agent target emerges. The bigger question is how the Raiders choose to use that cushion, because this kind of financial reset usually signals that more roster decisions are coming into view. [Read more 🡒]
Raiders Offense Faces New Week 1 Tension After Bowers And QB Twist
The Raiders are heading into Week 1 with a little more uncertainty on offense after ESPNs Adam Schefter reported Brock Bowers meniscus injury timeline, a development that adds another layer of concern around one of the teams most important pass catchers. At the same time, offensive coordinator Andrew Janocko said Fernando Mendoza earned the backup quarterback job over Aidan OConnell because of his preparation and growth, a decision that gives the Raiders a different sort of depth chart conversation than the one they expected to be having this late in camp.
For Las Vegas, the combination matters because Bowers is central to what the offense wants to do, and the quarterback room behind the starter has now been shaped by a younger option making a case in practice. Week 1 already brings its usual questions, but this one feels a little heavier for a Raiders offense trying to settle in while waiting to see how Bowers responds and how much the backup change affects the teams early-season comfort level. [Read more 🡒]