The Las Vegas Raiders’ 2026 season could swing in a lot of different directions, and the biggest variable is how Klint Kubiak reshapes the offense. Kirk Cousins also has to settle into that system, while Maxx Crosby’s production after his injury will be another major piece of the puzzle.
If those elements click, the Raiders could push for a wild card spot. If they don’t, the season could go sideways fast.
That’s why the draft outlook matters so much here. The Raiders do have their own first-round pick, which gives them a real chance to land a premium player if 2026 doesn’t unfold the way they want. With a loaded 2027 NFL draft class on the horizon, that kind of fallback could be valuable.
Josh Weil of Pro Football Sports Network recently put out a 2027 NFL mock draft, and his projection has the Raiders taking Dylan Stewart. It’s early, of course, and the college season will still shuffle plenty of names around, but the logic behind the pick makes sense given how teams tend to circle back to the same needs.
“Stewart’s sheer physical potential is the core of his evaluation; he has a near-unmatched blend of explosiveness, lateral agility, quickness, bend, length, and relentless motor, and there are glimpses of proper pass-rush execution with angle manipulation, stunt efficiency, upper-lower synergy, and power production”, said Weil.
The mock assumes Las Vegas lands the fifth overall pick, which would mean things went pretty poorly in 2026. That’s still a pretty aggressive forecast considering the upgrades the Raiders have made, but if that’s where they end up, Stewart would be the kind of consolation prize worth taking.
He’s a disruptive defensive end with real movement skills, and that’s the direction the Raiders should be leaning if they’re on the clock in the first round. A wide receiver would also make sense, but with Crosby potentially moving deeper into the back end of his prime, adding another edge force next to him could be the cleaner path to building out the defense.
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Raiders Are Watching Something Bigger Than Stats With Fernando Mendoza
Fernando Mendozas progress has become more about process than box score watching, and that fits the way the Raiders are approaching this stretch of the preseason. Quarterbacks coach Mike Sullivan said the focus is on steady growth and confidence, not chasing some fixed performance line, with the bigger goal being to keep building habits that carry forward. For a young passer, that means the work away from the spotlight matters just as much as what shows up on the field.
Sullivan pointed to Mendozas commitment to self-study, including handwritten notes on his throws, as part of why the staff believes the development is moving in the right direction. The preseason, in that view, is less a one-night exam than a chance to reinforce the right routine and keep stacking the details. For the Raiders, it is another reminder that the best signs from a quarterback room are not always the easiest ones to quantify. [Read more 🡒]
Treydan Stukes Is Forcing A Raiders Battle Fans Need To Watch
The Raiders are into the second week of training camp and already sorting through one of the more interesting competitions on the defensive side as they get ready for their first preseason game against the Arizona Cardinals. Defensive coordinator Rob Leonard is taking a close look at his personnel, and rookie second-round pick Treydan Stukes has become part of the conversation as the team tries to settle its nickel plans and figure out how best to deploy him.
Stukes is competing for a starting role in the slot while also projecting as a player who can fill multiple jobs across the defense this season, which only raises the stakes of every rep he takes in camp. For a Raiders defense still being evaluated in real time, his emergence is worth watching because the decision at nickel could shape both the immediate depth chart and how quickly Leonard can trust a young defender in bigger packages. [Read more 🡒]