- Fernando Mendoza is the quarterback of the future: The No. 1 overall pick earned a 90.7 PFF passing grade in his final college season, while Kirk Cousins gives Las Vegas the flexibility to let Mendoza develop.
- Ashton Jeanty is positioned for a Year 2 breakout: Jeanty produced 815 yards after contact as a rookie, and an improved offensive line could help him build on his 975 rushing yards.
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The Las Vegas Raiders finished the 2025 season tied for the worst record in football at 3-14, but that gave them the No. 1 overall pick and another opportunity to find their franchise quarterback. They also hired Klint Kubiak as their new head coach after he helped the Seattle Seahawks win the Super Bowl as their offensive coordinator last season.
Here’s our 2026 preview of the Las Vegas Raiders.
Key Free Agency/Trade Additions
| Position | Player | 2025 PFF Grade |
|---|---|---|
| WR | Jalen Nailor | 66.3 |
| WR | Dareke Young | N/A |
| G | Spencer Burford | 56.7 |
| C | Tyler Linderbaum | 79.8 |
| QB | Kirk Cousins | 76.0 |
| FB | Connor Heyward | N/A |
| DI | Benito Jones | 47.1 |
| EDGE | Kwity Paye | 59.0 |
| LB | Quay Walker | 46.0 |
| LB | Nakobe Dean | 62.2 |
| K | Matt Gay | 62.0 |
The addition of Kirk Cousins at quarterback means the Raiders don’t need to rush Fernando Mendoza into the starting lineup and can instead let him develop behind the veteran. After losing his starting job to Michael Penix Jr. in Atlanta ahead of the 2025 season, Cousins eventually returned to the lineup and earned a 75.0 PFF passing grade, ranking 14th among quarterbacks.
The Raiders also made a major investment in the middle of their offensive line, making Tyler Linderbaum the highest-paid center in football. The former first-round pick has earned PFF grades between 74.6 and 79.9 in each of his four NFL seasons. His pass protection has been closer to average recently, with his 63.4 PFF pass-blocking grade ranking 21st at the position in 2025, but he remains an elite run blocker. His 83.2 PFF run-blocking grade last season ranked fourth among centers.
2026 NFL Draft Class
| Position | Player | 2025 PFF Grade |
|---|---|---|
| QB | Fernando Mendoza | 91.6 |
| DB | Treydan Stukes | 90.1 |
| EDGE | Keyron Crawford | 76.3 |
| G | Trey Zuhn III | 71.8 |
| CB | Jermod McCoy | N/A |
| HB | Mike Washington Jr. | 78.3 |
| S | Dalton Johnson | 84.8 |
| CB | Hezekiah Masses | 79.5 |
| WR | Malik Benson | 73.0 |
| DI | Brandon Cleveland | 72.1 |
Fernando Mendoza spent just one season at Indiana, but it ended with a national championship, a Heisman Trophy and his selection as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. He earned a 90.7 PFF passing grade in his final college season, finishing the year with a 5.7% big-time throw rate and a 2.6% turnover-worthy play rate.
The Raiders also stopped the slide of Tennessee cornerback Jermod McCoy. Once regarded as a potential top-10 pick, McCoy fell due to medical concerns after missing the entire 2025 season. His last season on the field was an impressive one, though, as he earned an 89.6 PFF coverage grade in 2024. McCoy saw 62 targets across 393 coverage snaps, allowing 31 receptions while combining for 10 interceptions and pass breakups.
Reasons for optimism
After a proposed trade to the Baltimore Ravens fell through, Maxx Crosby returns as the most important player on the Raiders’ defense. Crosby’s PFF grade has dipped below 80.0 in each of the past two seasons after three straight years above 90.0, but he remains one of the best all-around edge defenders in the NFL. He has earned PFF grades above 70.0 both as a pass rusher and run defender in five consecutive seasons.
On offense, Brock Bowers continued to impress in his second NFL season. He missed five games due to injury but still ranked inside the top 10 among tight ends in both receiving yards and PFF receiving grade. Heading into Year 3, Bowers is firmly established as one of the best players at the position.
Reason for pessimism
The Raiders have done a nice job adding talent at the skill positions in recent years, selecting tight end Brock Bowers and running back Ashton Jeanty in back-to-back NFL Drafts, but wide receiver remains a weakness. None of their returning wide receivers who saw at least 30 targets last season averaged more than 1.20 yards per route run.
Their biggest addition at the position was Jalen Nailor, who averaged just 1.06 yards per route run last season. In fact, none of the wide receivers currently on the roster ranked better than 78th among the 111 players at the position with at least 30 targets in the regular season.
That leaves 2025 second-round pick Jack Bech as perhaps their best hope for a breakout at the position. He showed flashes as a rookie but saw just 28 targets, giving him an opportunity to earn a much larger role in Year 2.
Breakout Candidate
It’s an easy choice, but the addition of Tyler Linderbaum at center gives Ashton Jeanty an excellent opportunity to take a step forward in Year 2. Jeanty was solid as a rookie, earning a 73.1 PFF rushing grade that ranked tied for 33rd at the position. However, the struggles of the offensive line contributed to him finishing just 18th with 975 rushing yards, despite his 815 yards after contact ranking eighth.
With an improved offensive line in front of him and a better situation at quarterback, Jeanty should have an easier time producing at a higher level in his second season.
Key roster battles
How the Raiders’ defensive backfield takes shape will be something to watch during the preseason, with much potentially depending on where second-round pick Treydan Stukes fits best. Eric Stokes and Darien Porter are the likely starters on the outside, though Jermod McCoy could push for playing time if he hits the ground running.
Taron Johnson is a natural fit in the slot. He earned a career-high 81.7 PFF coverage grade in 2023 and, while that mark has declined over the past two seasons, he has still graded above 60.0 in coverage in both years. Jeremy Chinn is best suited to playing in the box and is coming off a season in which he earned a 66.7 PFF grade. The biggest concern is at free safety, where Isaiah Pola-Mao’s 39.8 PFF grade in 2025 ranked 96th among the 97 safeties who played at least 300 snaps.
That could create an opportunity for Stukes, though he played just 19 snaps at free safety last season, with most of his work coming in the slot or box. Given that free safety appears to be the weakest spot in the secondary, where the Raiders deploy Stukes during the preseason will be worth monitoring.
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