Raiders banking on draft class being special, beyond just first overall pick

Las Vegas Raiders information Treydan Stukes (31) stretches during the archetypal signifier of grooming campy astatine Las Vegas Raiders Headquarters/Intermountain Health Performance Center successful Henderson Wednesday, July 29, 2026. Photo by: Steve Marcus

The No. 1 wide draught prime mightiness not person been the Raiders’ astir awesome rookie of grooming campy and the preseason.

Las Vegas is taking it arsenic a affirmative motion that backmost Fernando Mendoza got immoderate existent contention for the grant from a trio of draught classmates—second-round information Treydan Stukes, fourth-round moving backmost Mike Washington Jr. and sixth-round receiver Malik Benson.

The champion mode to jumpstart a franchise rebuild is to deed connected a draught class—especially 1 coming successful alongside a caller manager similar this year’s radical volition bash with Klint Kubiak—and the Raiders are cautiously optimistic they whitethorn person done so.

“I spot a radical of young men that are maturing into professionals and benignant of consenting to wage the terms that it takes to enactment present and beryllium a portion of a winning culture,” wide manager John Spytek said of his 2nd draught class.

But he’s besides inactive prioritizing patience. Stukes, antecedently a three-year skipper astatine the University of Arizona, is the lone Day 1 starter of the 8 rookies to marque the authoritative 53-man roster going into the season.

He could beryllium a staple for years to travel successful caller antiaircraft coordinator Rob Leonard’s scheme, fixed a versatility that’s seen him enactment up everyplace from the linebacker container to a accepted escaped information spot successful the back.

Stukes struggled successful sum astatine the commencement of grooming campy but caught occurrence successful the last mates weeks to bushed retired incumbent starter Isaiah Pola-Mao for the starting information spot adjacent to playmaking seasoned Jeremy Chinn.

Washington, an Arkansas product, is simply a de facto starter connected offense, arsenic helium volition divided carries with 2025 first-round prime Ashton Jeanty, who’s expected to instrumentality from an ankle wounded successful clip for the September 13 opener against the Miami Dolphins.

Before grooming camp, Kubiak spoke of wanting to usage Jeanty arsenic a workhorse, every-down back, but Washington flashed excessively galore times successful the preseason—averaging 6.2 yards per transportation with a fistful of explosive carries—to ignore. Kubiak has present pledged to “use them both.”

Benson won’t get arsenic galore touches arsenic Washington, but he’s done capable to carve retired a relation successful the offense, particularly if and erstwhile Mendoza takes implicit astatine quarterback. Mendoza, who roseate to stardom astatine Indiana past year, and Benson, who went to Oregon, whitethorn person been Big Ten rivals a play agone but person present developed an undeniable chemistry.

The lone interest is that Benson’s grooming campy trajectory went the other mode of Stukes’ rise. Benson made immoderate mistakes down the stretch—prompting Kubiak to telephone retired “needing more” retired of the full receiver group—after starring for the archetypal fewer weeks.

The different superior rookie to ticker is third-round violative lineman Trey Zuhn. The reigning SEC Offensive Lineman of the Year from Texas A&M has played center, defender and tackle successful the preseason.

Kubiak said helium had ne'er seen a rookie blocker arsenic versatile arsenic Zuhn, and the coaching unit is comfy with him filling successful astatine astir immoderate spot.

Cornerbacks Jermod McCoy, a fourth-round prime retired of Tennessee, and Hezekiah Masses, a fifth-round prime retired of California, some competed for the No. 2 cornerback starting spot earlier yet losing retired to second-year subordinate Darien Porter. But they’ll get much looks during the season.

Fifth-round information Dalton Johnson, Stukes’ “best friend” from Arizona, projects arsenic chiefly a peculiar teams subordinate successful his rookie season.

The lone atrocious quality from the people is that third-round borderline rusher Keyron Crawford retired of Auburn tore his Achilles successful the last preseason game, and volition beryllium retired for the year.

That leaves seventh-round antiaircraft tackle Brandon Cleveland arsenic the lone draught prime to get cut, though the Raiders did motion him to their signifier squad.

Mendoza whitethorn beryllium the headliner, but the Raiders are hopeful the full rookie people volition beryllium looked backmost connected arsenic foundational to their semipermanent success.