The Raiders have spent years trying to patch over a roster that never quite held together, and last season was the point where the whole thing finally gave way. Las Vegas dropped 10 straight games for the second consecutive season in 2025, a hard stop that pushed the organization into a new phase and made the need for a reset impossible to ignore.
That reset has been taking shape since the start of last offseason, when a new front office stepped in and began overhauling a group that had long been the team’s biggest problem. The Raiders’ talent deficit showed up too often against opponents, and the constant churn eventually led to coaching changes and a major roster push this summer. By the end of it, Las Vegas had put together one of the league’s most active offseasons, and one of the few that actually moved the needle.
General manager John Spytek believes the foundation is starting to come together, especially with the young players the Raiders have brought in over his first two offseasons. He pointed to the makeup of that group and the way they’ve handled the grind of building a professional routine.
"I keep saying they're the right kind of people, but they are. When you walk the first floor with the people that interact with them every day, they're good young men, they're respectful.
They are intentional about their work. They're learning to be professionals.
They take criticism. They take advice,” Spytek said earlier this week.
“They know it's not personal, and they desperately want to play football and to help the Raiders to be a good football team, to win football games. It's easy to do that one or two days a week, it's a lot harder as a rookie to do that every day, and I see a group of young men that are maturing into professionals and kind of willing to pay the price that it takes to stay here and to be a part of a winning culture."
The draft haul alone gives Las Vegas a real shot at turning that vision into something tangible. In this year’s class, the Raiders found at least four to five players who should matter this season.
Fernando Mendoza, the No. 1 overall pick, is the headliner, though his impact is still to be determined. Safety Treydan Stukes has already locked down a starting job.
There’s more behind him. Keyron Crawford has upside when healthy.
Trey Zuhn III is set for a reserve role now, but the Raiders clearly view him as a future starter. Jermod McCoy brings significant upside at cornerback.
Mike Washington may begin the season as the team’s running back. Dalton Johnson has developmental value at safety, and Malik Benson has already pushed himself from sixth-round pick status into someone who could contribute on offense and special teams.
None of that is guaranteed yet. Week 1 is here, and draft picks only become answers once they prove it on the field. A front office can scout, stack, and project all it wants, but the real test starts now.
What is clear is the direction. The Raiders are entering their first regular-season game under Kubiak with a roster that is difficult to pin down from the outside, but easy to label in one respect: it’s young.
Las Vegas still has veterans in key spots, and those older players will matter. But the balance has shifted.
The team is leaning more heavily into youth than it has in years, and the depth chart is being built with that in mind.
For Las Vegas, Week 1 is more than a season opener. It’s the start of the youth movement the organization hopes will finally lead somewhere stable.
The veterans aren’t disappearing, but the Raiders are no longer hanging their future on them. Under Kubiak, the plan is to keep adding young talent, keep developing it, and keep pushing toward something more sustainable.
Week 1 is only the beginning.
In Other News...
Raiders Just Gave Fans A Real Reason To Believe Again
The Raiders walked out of their 2026 opener with more than just a win over Miami. They looked like a team that had actually absorbed the changes around them, with new coaching and roster moves showing up in the kinds of ways that matter early in a season: steadier quarterback play, a more functional run game and a defense that spent the day making life difficult for the Dolphins. Kirk Cousins helped set the tone, Ashton Jeanty added juice, and the line held up well enough to keep the pocket clean for long stretches.
What stood out most for Las Vegas was how many parts of the roster contributed to the same result. Connor Heyward and Michael Mayer gave the offense useful answers, while the defense got strong efforts from Quay Walker, Nakobe Dean and Treydan Stukes while pressuring Miami throughout. Even with the opening-game optimism, the real question for the Raiders is whether this was a one-week spark or the first sign of something sturdier, because performances like this tend to raise expectations quickly. [Read more 🡒]
Raiders Week 1 Inactives Include One Surprise Fans Didnt See Coming
The Raiders Week 1 inactive list came with the usual mix of injury-related absences and roster math, but one name stood out before kickoff against the Dolphins. Linebacker Cody Lindenberg was among the players ruled out, a designation that added an unexpected wrinkle to the opening-day picture for a team still sorting through its early-season depth.
Las Vegas also listed quarterback Aidan OConnell as the emergency third quarterback, along with tight end Brock Bowers, safety Dalton Johnson, defensive tackle JJ Pegues, cornerback Darrell Luter Jr. and interior lineman Bryce Cabeldue. The decisions were made before the game, leaving the Raiders to navigate their opener with a lineup that already reflected a few early roster priorities. [Read more 🡒]
Raiders Face One Big Maxx Crosby Question Before The Deadline
The trade chatter around Maxx Crosby has only grown louder as the November 10 deadline approaches, and for the Raiders it has become one of the biggest questions hanging over the roster. Baltimore had lined up a deal for the pass rusher before backing out because of a failed physical, which only intensified the attention from around the league as teams started gauging whether Las Vegas might actually move one of its most recognizable defenders.
The Rams have shown strong interest, while the Eagles, Cowboys and 49ers have also been connected to Crosby in the market. Even with all that outside attention, Crosby has made it clear he wants to stay in Las Vegas, leaving the Raiders with a decision that is about more than just trade value, since Dallas could be positioned as one of the more aggressive suitors if the deadline picture keeps tightening. [Read more 🡒]