Friday, July 24, 2026 | 2 a.m.
Editor's note: Este artículo está traducido al español.
The Raiders dive into different rebuild this season, and thing tin marque waves faster successful a rebuild than a rookie draught people that succeeds successful mounting a foundation.
It’s thing the Raiders person sorely failed to nutrient going backmost decades, an ostensible organizational curse that’s followed them to Las Vegas implicit the past six years.
But there’s optimism that this go-around could beryllium wherever the spell ends. The 2026 rookie people reported to grooming campy Thursday astatine the team’s Henderson office with sizeable buzz for what they could execute successful metallic and black.
The franchise seems much unchangeable than it’s been successful respective years with caller manager Klint Kubiak coming successful aft winning the Super Bowl arsenic the Seattle Seahawks’ violative coordinator. His imaginativeness aligns with second-year wide manager John Spytek and de facto president of shot operations Tom Brady.
The trio is assured they’ve started to bring successful the close pieces connected the field, headlined by the Raiders’ archetypal No. 1 wide prime successful 19 years and 9 different draught classmates.
Here’s a look astatine the 10 members of the Raiders’ rookie draught people and wherever they each task astatine the outset of grooming camp.
Quarterback Fernando Mendoza, No. 1 wide prime (first round)
The reigning nationalist title and Heisman Trophy-winning backmost looked adjacent amended than expected during the aboriginal agelong of pretraining campy practices successful the spring. But by the end, immoderate of the anticipated increasing pains began to aboveground arsenic the 22-year-old, soon-to-be look of the franchise acclimated to a pro-style discourtesy for the archetypal time. The Raiders proceed to springiness each indications that they privation to beryllium diligent with Mendoza and fto him larn nether seasoned Kirk Cousins for astatine slightest the commencement of the season. Mendoza, whose beingness with the squad was yet officially inked with his four-year, $57.27 cardinal declaration signing Thursday, volition request to thoroughly outplay Cousins implicit the adjacent six weeks to gain arsenic overmuch arsenic information for the starting relation successful the Sept. 13 opener hosting the Miami Dolphins.
Safety Treydan Stukes, No. 38 wide prime (second round)
The three-year skipper astatine the University of Arizona remains acold and distant the likeliest time 1 starter among this year’s rookies. That doesn’t mean a occupation volition beryllium handed to him. Stukes has looked the portion truthful far, but he’ll request to beryllium he’s up for the physicality of the nonrecreational crippled erstwhile padded practices and the preseason begin. Stukes volition person to bushed retired incumbent starter Isaiah Pola-Mao oregon free-agent accomplishment Taron Johnson for a first-string relation successful the secondary adjacent to chap information Jeremy Chinn. Both Chinn and Stukes are highly versatile players, making a concern betwixt them 1 that teems with imaginable of adding dimensions to the Raiders’ defense.
Edge rusher Keyron Crawford, No. 67 wide prime (third round)
The Auburn merchandise goes into campy looking similar helium has little of a way to accordant playing clip than a emblematic third-round pick. It’s not each his fault. Las Vegas is comparatively heavy astatine his presumption aft Maxx Crosby’s commercialized to Baltimore fell done lone aft it added erstwhile first-round prime Kwity Paye from Indianapolis and re-signed Malcolm Koonce. Crawford didn’t get much, if any, first-team reps successful the spring. But the Raiders took him arsenic a developmental piece. Like Mendoza, they’re improbable to unreserved Crawford into a relation until he’s ready.
Guard Trey Zuhn, No. 91 wide prime (third round)
The Texas A&M stalwart, who was named the SEC’s champion blocker a twelvemonth ago, expressed assurance helium could play immoderate violative enactment presumption professionally aft the draft. The Raiders look to agree. Zuhn got looks astatine some near defender and close tackle during offseason squad activities and minicamp. There’s contention astatine some spots, not to notation besides perchance astatine close guard. Zuhn mightiness not beryllium the favourite to commencement astatine immoderate of positions, but it wouldn’t beryllium a astonishment if helium clicked up of docket and claimed 1 of them.
Cornerback Jermod McCoy, No. 101 wide prime (fourth round)
It’s important to retrieve that McCoy’s banal was overmuch higher than immoderate of his eventual draught classmates a year-and-a-half ago. But helium past tore his ACL during the offseason and missed his inferior play astatine Tennessee, precipitating a tumble down draught boards. Concerns astir his aesculapian presumption remain, but the Raiders person been adamant they person a program and judge helium tin get connected the field. Health is the lone happening lasting successful the mode of McCoy emerging arsenic an contiguous contributor, but it’s a important hurdle. He was highly constricted successful pretraining-camp practices.
Running backmost Mike Washington, No. 122 wide prime (fourth round)
The University of Arkansas merchandise could beryllium a acheronian equine worthy backing to play a large relation successful his rookie season. It’s inactive unclear whether Kubiak prefers to usage starter Ashton Jeanty arsenic a accepted every-down backmost oregon spell with a much modern attack and divided the workload. He’s intimated preferring some strategies astatine antithetic times, though precocious has spoken much astir the erstwhile plan. Kubiak’s past arsenic an violative coordinator, however, fits much with the dual approach. While not guaranteed, Washington volition person each accidental to service arsenic Jeanty’s No. 2.
Safety Dalton Johnson, No. 150 wide prime (fifth round)
It’s improbable though not intolerable that Stukes’ champion person and erstwhile Arizona teammate contributes connected defence close away. But it’s besides improbable though not intolerable that helium doesn’t marque the 53-man roster. Johnson should person worth close distant arsenic a peculiar teams staple, a work that volition bargain him clip until he’s deemed acceptable defensively.
Cornerback Hezekiah Masses, No. 175 wide prime (fifth round)
Kubiak doesn’t similar to springiness overmuch away, but helium was noticeably excited astir however good Masses played erstwhile fixed a stock of starter reps successful minicamp. Kubiak issued a situation to Masses to support his advancement into grooming campy erstwhile pads travel on. A late-round drafted cornerback playing important snaps close distant is uncommon, but it seems much apt with the Raiders. Veteran Eric Stokes looks similar the lone definite happening successful the unit, leaving a batch of playing clip ripe for the taking elsewhere.
Wide receiver Malik Benson, No. 195 wide prime (sixth round)
A prime this debased would typically beryllium a coin flip to marque the roster, but Benson showed retired capable successful OTAs and minicamp that expectations are present higher. The Oregon postgraduate is not a warrant to marque the team, fto unsocial to carve retired playing time, but helium enters grooming campy connected coagulated footing. He possesses the benignant of velocity and shiftiness that Kubiak prefers successful his receivers and could conceivably person an borderline connected second-year drafted receivers Jack Bech and Dont’e Thornton fixed wherever they acceptable wrong the coach's scheme.
Defensive tackle Brandon Cleveland, No. 229 wide prime (seventh round)
Seventh-round picks ever consciousness the unit astatine grooming camp, and Cleveland is nary different. The bully quality is that antiaircraft tackle looks similar 1 of the Raiders’ weakest presumption groups. The atrocious quality is that the squad has a glut of veterans competing to enactment up the weakness. It’s not ever casual for an unheralded rookie similar Cleveland to basal retired successful that scenario. But, if helium wants an example, helium doesn’t person to hunt far.
Linebacker Cody Lindenberg, past year’s seventh-round pick, looked similar a agelong changeable to marque the roster arsenic precocious arsenic midtraining campy past season. But helium started to travel connected and ended up appearing successful each game, albeit lone connected peculiar teams. Lindenberg got first-team reps successful OTAs and minicamp this twelvemonth and appears successful enactment to lend connected defense.
Development similar that mightiness beryllium precisely what the Raiders request to physique a semipermanent winner. The 2026 rookie draught people could beryllium the cardinal to establishing that culture.
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