The Raiders’ new era is already putting one assistant coach under the spotlight.
With training camp only a few weeks away, Las Vegas is heading into a season loaded with change. The franchise used the No. 1 overall pick in this spring’s NFL Draft on quarterback Fernando Mendoza, and while the “future of the franchise” may not begin immediately, there’s now a clear path forward for Raiders Nation to watch unfold. Across the roster, the youth movement is already showing up.
That is especially true on defense, where general manager John Spytek spent the offseason aggressively reshaping the unit through free agency and the draft. He added new starting linebackers and defensive backs, then used four draft picks on defensive backs. That makes the secondary one of the youngest groups in the NFL, and it also puts defensive backs coach and pass game coordinator Joe Woods in a crucial spot on Klint Kubiak’s staff.
Kubiak did not build his staff the way Frank Reich once tried to in Carolina. Instead, he mixed first-timers with seasoned coaches who can help guide the rebuild.
Woods fits squarely into the veteran category, with 21 years of NFL coaching experience. And for the Raiders, this is familiar territory.
Woods coached the defensive backs for the franchise back when it was in Oakland in 2014, helping Charles Woodson post a team-leading 160 tackles and four interceptions. A year later, he was also part of the Denver Broncos defense that won Super Bowl 50.
That kind of track record matters here because Woods has repeatedly helped shape strong secondaries wherever he has been. His value is in the details, the teaching, and the ability to bring more out of young players - exactly the kind of presence Las Vegas needs with so much inexperience in the back end.
He already worked with a young group last season in Isaiah Pola-Mao, Jeremy Chinn, and Darien Porter. Now the challenge gets bigger with Treydan Stukes, Jermod McCoy, Dalton Johnson, and Hezekiah Masses entering their rookie seasons. It would not be a surprise if all four see the field at some point, especially if Woods likes what he sees in camp, the preseason, and the regular season.
Stukes and McCoy have the upside to develop into impact players at nickel and outside corner. Johnson and Masses could grow into starters with time. Woods is the right coach for that stage of development, and his influence could matter a lot for the Raiders down the road.
If the rookies and second-year players keep moving forward, Woods could help defensive coordinator Rob Leonard push this defense beyond “bend, don’t break” territory and into above-average status in 2026. And if that happens, Las Vegas may end up with a secondary that surprises the AFC West.
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Grudens frustration comes from the same place as his ongoing work with quarterbacks, where he continues to mentor college passers and stay plugged into the position he once built his reputation around. He has long stressed that recognition, communication and execution have to travel together, and his latest critique suggests he believes modern football is drifting away from that formula. [Read more 🡒]
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For Las Vegas, the regret lingers because the roster picture looks thinner every time Adams comes up in these conversations. The Raiders moved him out, then later traded Jakobi Meyers as well, and now they are left without a clear high-end answer at wide receiver. In a league where elite pass catchers are hard to find and even harder to replace, that kind of double departure makes the Adams decision feel less like a one-off move and more like a hole the Raiders are still trying to climb out of. [Read more 🡒]
Raiders May Be Eyeing A Cheap Fix For Their Biggest Defensive Hole
Klint Kubiaks decision to keep Rob Leonard in place as defensive coordinator has already nudged the Raiders toward a base 3-4 look, and it leaves one obvious question hanging over the front seven: who handles the nose tackle job? Adam Butler is currently projected there, but he is not a natural fit for that spot, which makes the middle of the defense look like a place where Las Vegas could use a cleaner answer before the season settles in.
One idea floating around would be to chase a low-cost fix in Cincinnati, where Kris Jenkins Jr. has been mentioned as a possible trade target. The appeal is easy to understand for a Raiders team trying to patch a real hole without spending heavily, but the fit is not seamless. Jenkins has only limited work at nose tackle and would still need to prove he can handle the kind of interior role Las Vegas needs most. [Read more 🡒]