The Raiders’ first two draft classes under general manager John Spytek are already leaving fingerprints on a 2-0 start, and the early returns have given Las Vegas something it spent the offseason chasing: young players who can help right now.
That was the point of the roster build. The Raiders went looking for young talent that could grow alongside veterans who are ready to win today, and so far that blend has worked. Head coach Klint Kubiak pointed to the people coaching those players as a big reason the early results have come together.
“Just really pleased by the way that Robbie's got the group playing, how Travis [Smith] is coaching the defensive line, how demanding Ronnell [Williams] is, how great a teacher that Joe Woods and Matt [Robinson] are,” Kubiak said on Monday.
“Just our coaching staff is doing a good job putting the guys in positions to be successful. And it's two games with 15 regular season games left to go.
So, by no means do we think we've arrived or we've accomplished anything. And we just got to keep working and getting better."
That bigger rebuild is still ahead, but Las Vegas has already seen enough from several rookies and second-year players to know the foundation is taking shape. Some of those young pieces are producing, and others are still waiting in the wings.
One of the clearest early wins has come from Masses. He was expected to contribute before the season, and on Sunday he delivered in a big way by picking off Justin Herbert twice. With Darien Porter injured, Masses stepped in and looked like a reliable part of the Raiders’ back end.
He’ll keep getting challenged as the season goes on, but Las Vegas has every reason to think it may have found a steady presence in its defensive backfield. That matters in a rebuild, and it matters even more when the player is already helping win games. Two interceptions in his second game is the kind of immediate return teams hope for when they draft a corner.
The Raiders also set things up by leaning on their pass rush to help cover for inexperience in the secondary. Against the Chargers, the front seven did enough to let the defensive backs finish the job.
Bech had a quieter stat line, but he still did his part. He was targeted only twice and caught both passes, including a 20-yard grab.
With the Raiders spreading the ball around to a long list of pass-catchers, the numbers are going to get divided up. That means production won’t always jump off the page, but Bech has already made himself useful in both of Las Vegas’ wins with at least one important catch.
Stukes is currently in the concussion protocol, according to Kubiak. He played well overall, though his most noticeable impact on Sunday came when he was off the field. The Raiders still don’t know how long he’ll be out, but his first two games have shown the staff exactly why he matters.
Jeanty’s day was a little more complicated. The dropped passes stood out, but the overall performance was still solid.
He ran for only 48 yards, yet that number doesn’t tell the whole story. He did enough to help the Raiders stay on schedule and keep the clock moving.
That’s a shift from how this team has operated in past seasons. The ground game used to decide too much for the Raiders, but Sunday’s win over the Chargers showed Kubiak’s group can win in different ways. Ideally, the run game will look more like it did in Week 1, but the bigger point is that Las Vegas is no longer dependent on one formula.
And while defenses would much rather deal with Kirk Cousins than last year’s No. 6 overall pick, Jeanty will keep drawing attention. Opponents are going to key on him first, and his value will keep showing up in more places than just the rushing total.
In Other News...
Raiders May Finally Have Help For Maxx Crosby But One Doubt Remains
Malcolm Koonce gave the Raiders a much-needed glimpse of what their pass rush could look like around Maxx Crosby in Week 2 against the Chargers. Working in just 28 defensive snaps, Koonce came away with 1.5 sacks, three tackles, a forced fumble and multiple pressures, while also looking sharper off the line than he did a week earlier. The burst and conditioning were encouraging signs for a player the Raiders need to keep the heat on quarterbacks without asking Crosby to do everything himself.
Koonces showing was strong enough to suggest he can be a useful rotational piece, but the next test is a tougher one. Against top offensive linemen, he still has to close faster and turn pressure into cleaner finishes if the Raiders want their edge rush to rise from promising to dependable. The talent is there, and the recent uptick matters, but this is still the kind of development the Raiders will be tracking closely week to week. [Read more 🡒]
Tre Tucker Just Created A New Raiders Problem For Defenses
Tre Tucker gave the Raiders exactly the kind of jolt theyve been looking for in Week 2 against the Chargers, turning a strong outing into a reminder that Las Vegas has another receiver defenses have to account for. He finished with five catches for 119 yards and a touchdown, and his impact went beyond the obvious playmaking, with key receptions and run-blocking helping him stay involved even as attention naturally leaned elsewhere on the offense.
What makes Tuckers surge more interesting is what comes next. Tight end Brock Bowers is expected back soon, and his return could reshape how the Raiders distribute targets and create touches in the passing game. For a team that has been searching for reliable answers, Tucker has suddenly forced a new conversation about how much space there really is for everyone to stay featured. [Read more 🡒]
Raiders Face A Bigger Marvin Harrison Jr. Question Than Fans Realize
The Raiders are already being linked to a wide receiver upgrade before next season, and the list of possibilities says plenty about how aggressive they may need to be. Trade ideas can always start with the biggest names, and Justin Jefferson naturally sits near the top of that conversation, especially with insider Hondo Carpenter noting there could be some appeal if Jefferson wanted to reunite with coach Klint Kubiak. The problem, of course, is that a player of that stature would cost a massive haul of draft capital, which is the kind of price tag that can reshape a roster as much as it improves one.
Marvin Harrison Jr. is the other name hovering around the discussion, and it comes with a very different kind of uncertainty. The Cardinals receiver has not delivered the level of impact many expected, which is why some around the league could wonder whether he might become available, but Carpenter has expressed skepticism about the fit and the value for Las Vegas. For the Raiders, the question is not just whether Harrison could be pried loose, but whether he would represent the right kind of investment if the team is going to spend real assets to solve a major need. [Read more 🡒]