Future of the Silver & Black: Maximizing the 2026 NFL Draft

The Las Vegas Raiders enter the 2026 NFL Draft at a crossroads. A 3–14 season in 2025 left them last in the league in points scored (14.2 per game) and near the bottom in yards (269.8 yards per game). Despite selecting impact rookies like running back Ashton Jeanty (975 yards and 10 touchdowns) and tight end Brock Bowers (64 receptions, 7 TDs), the offense sputtered behind a porous offensive line and predictable schemes. Defensively, edge rusher Maxx Crosby again led the unit with 10 sacks and 28 tackles for loss, but the Raiders allowed 25.4 points per game and struggled to stop the run. The front office responded by hiring head coach Klint Kubiak and general manager John Spytek, signalling a philosophical reset.

Kubiak will install a Shanahan‑style outside‑zone offense and has hinted at adopting a 3‑4 base defense with new defensive coordinator Rob Leonard. Spytek, meanwhile, has emphasized that the draft is about quality and quantity and that he is “open to all options” when it comes to trading up or down. Armed with the No. 1 pick and nine more selections, the Raiders have a rare opportunity to reshape their roster. This article breaks down where Las Vegas stands entering the draft, identifies gaps, and proposes targeted solutions that align with Kubiak’s scheme and Spytek’s draft strategy.

The Raiders hold 10 picks in the 2026 draft: Nos. 1, 36, 67, 102, 117, 134, 175, 185, 208 and 219. They gained extra fourth‑ and sixth‑round selections through trades (the Jakobi Meyers and Geno Smith deals) and received compensatory picks in rounds 4 and 5. The table below summarizes their draft capital:

Even in a 3–14 season there were bright spots. Ashton Jeanty led all rookies with 975 rushing yards, 556 yards after contact and 10 total touchdowns. Tre Tucker emerged as the team’s WR1, leading the Raiders with 696 receiving yards and finishing second in receptions (57) and touchdowns (5). Brock Bowers earned his second Pro Bowl despite missing five games, catching 64 passes for seven scores. The offensive line, however, was the NFL’s worst run‑blocking unit; the team averaged a league‑low 77.5 rushing yards per game. Beyond veteran left tackle Kolton Miller, few blockers graded above average. The Raiders signed center Tyler Linderbaum and drafted guard Jackson Powers‑Johnson in 2025, but right tackle and both guard spots remain unsettled.

On defense, Maxx Crosby continues to anchor the pass rush with 10 sacks and 28 tackles for loss, while newcomer Kwity Paye joins the defensive front. Linebacker additions Nakobe Dean and Quay Walker bring tackling production (Dean has 141 career solo tackles and 7.5 sacks; Walker has led his previous team in tackles every year). In the secondary, cornerback Eric Stokes re‑signed after holding opposing quarterbacks to a 56.7 % completion rate and 9.7 yards per completion, and safety Jeremy Chinn produced 114 tackles. Still, the Raiders finished 25th against the pass and 28th against the run; they lack depth at safety and corner, and the interior defensive line lacks a true nose tackle.

The above figures illustrate how far the Raiders must climb on both sides of the ball. Offense ranked last in scoring and yardage, while the defense allowed nearly four yards more per play than the offense generated. Closing these gaps is the mission of this draft.

Kubiak’s offensive system is a balanced attack built around outside‑zone runs and explosive play‑action passes. During his tenure with Seattle, his offense achieved a 57.3 % success rate on play‑action (third in the league) and 0.37 EPA per dropback (first). Seattle’s run game under Kubiak called runs on 48.7 % of plays (highest in the NFL) and ran outside the tackles 57 % of the time (fifth). He used under‑center formations on 52.6 % of snaps (second in the league), leveraging motion and bootlegs to stretch defenses horizontally. This system demands: