When John Spytek accepted the job as general manager of the Las Vegas Raiders, he knew he was stepping into a rebuild. The roster needed work, the culture needed reshaping, and the path to contention wasn’t going to be a straight line.
But after a whirlwind first year on the job-marked by bold trades, a few misfires, and a whole lot of long-term thinking-the Raiders now hold the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. And that, more than anything else, is the payoff Spytek was playing for.
Let’s break down the trades Spytek has made so far, and how they’ve all led to the Raiders sitting atop the draft board with a chance to reset the franchise around a potential franchise quarterback.
The Geno Smith Trade: A Calculated Gamble That Paid Off in a Different Way
The headline move of Spytek’s early tenure was the trade for quarterback Geno Smith, reuniting him with Pete Carroll in Las Vegas after Carroll returned to the NFL sidelines. On paper, it looked like a win-now move. Geno had revived his career in Seattle, and pairing him with the coach who once believed in him seemed like a savvy way to stabilize the position.
But instead of a resurgence, the Raiders got a season of struggles. Geno didn’t look like the answer, and the team’s performance reflected that.
Meanwhile, Seattle used the third-round pick they received in the deal to draft Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe-adding flexibility that allowed them to move up for safety Nick Emmanwori. The Seahawks, now sitting as the NFC’s top seed, clearly came out ahead in the short term.
Still, this wasn’t a total loss for Las Vegas. The Geno trade, in hindsight, functioned as a soft tank.
It gave the Raiders a veteran presence under center while keeping them just competitive enough to sell the idea of progress-but ultimately, the wheels came off just enough to land them the top pick in the draft. That’s a long-term win, even if it didn’t look like it at the time.
And as for Geno? His days as a starter might be over, but he could still serve a valuable role as a mentor-especially if the Raiders select Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza with that No. 1 pick.
The Jakobi Meyers Deal: Smart Asset Management
One of Spytek’s more under-the-radar moves came at the trade deadline, when he sent wide receiver Jakobi Meyers to the Jacksonville Jaguars in exchange for fourth- and sixth-round picks in the 2026 draft.
Meyers was in a contract year, and the Raiders already had young receivers like Jack Bech and Dont’e Thornton Jr. waiting in the wings. With Jacksonville’s wide receiver room already stacked, Meyers has still managed to carve out a leadership role and become a key contributor for a team with playoff aspirations.
For Las Vegas, getting two draft picks for a player they might’ve lost in free agency anyway is a win. It’s the kind of forward-thinking, asset-flipping move that rebuilding teams need to make.
The Kenny Pickett Experiment: A Swing and a Miss
Now, not every move Spytek made has aged gracefully. The Raiders sent a fifth-round pick to Philadelphia for quarterback Kenny Pickett, hoping to perhaps find a reclamation project with some upside.
Instead, they got a reminder of why Pickett’s time in Pittsburgh ended the way it did. In limited action, Pickett completed just 28 of 45 passes for 188 yards, one touchdown, two interceptions, and a passer rating of 60.2. That’s not going to cut it in today’s NFL.
It’s a low-risk miss, but it’s a miss nonetheless. And it reinforces a lesson that many GMs have learned the hard way: trading with Eagles GM Howie Roseman is rarely a one-sided win.
Thomas Booker IV for Jakorian Bennett: A Wash
Spytek and Roseman also linked up on a rare player-for-player trade, swapping defensive tackle Thomas Booker IV for cornerback Jakorian Bennett. On paper, it looked like a depth move on both sides. In practice, neither player moved the needle much in 2025.
Booker is a decent interior pass rusher, but didn’t make a major impact in his first year with the Raiders. Bennett, meanwhile, has struggled mightily in coverage and hasn’t been the answer Philly hoped for opposite Quinyon Mitchell.
Booker is a restricted free agent this offseason, so his future in Vegas is still up in the air. But given the Raiders’ cap flexibility and draft capital, it’s not a deal that will define Spytek’s tenure one way or the other.
The Big Picture: All Roads Lead to No. 1
Add it all up, and Spytek’s first year has been a mixed bag on the surface-but the outcome is exactly what the Raiders needed. They’re not a quarterback away from contention, but they now have a golden opportunity to draft one. Whether it’s Fernando Mendoza or someone else, the Raiders are in the driver’s seat.
Spytek’s trades-some hits, some misses-have all contributed to this moment. The Geno Smith deal didn’t work out on the field, but it helped secure the top pick.
The Meyers trade added draft capital. Even the Pickett and Booker moves, while not impactful, didn’t cost the Raiders anything they couldn’t afford to lose.
This is what a rebuild looks like in the early stages. It’s messy.
It’s experimental. But if you play your cards right, you come out of it with a chance to change your franchise’s future.
And now, with the No. 1 pick in hand, that’s exactly where the Raiders find themselves.