2026 Las Vegas Raiders in Three Players
The offseason is upon us. Let's take a look at all 32 teams.
Onto the 17th edition of our offseason series!
Instead of reviewing all 32 drafts and adding casual commentary, I will be doing this instead.
We will go through every single team, in alphabetical order, and quickly discuss three players:
a favorite free agent signing*
a favorite draft pick
and a player already entrenched on the roster
Not necessarily the best, or the top, or the one's who will play the biggest role, just one of choice.
The Las Vegas Raiders are up.
Free Agent Signing
LB Nakobe Dean
A 3rd round pick out of Georgia in 2022, Dean started 27 games in Philadelphia, going to two Super Bowls and winning one.
The Raiders signed Dean to a 3 year, $36.03m contract in free agency.
Here is a cut-up of the good stuff from Dean's 2025 season.
Dean will be a much needed upgrade for Las Vegas on the second level of the defense.
Devin White and Elandon Roberts racked up lots of tackles in 2025, but Dean is a much stronger tackler. He also had tackling issues like White has in his career, with a career missed tackle rate of just 7.4%.
And while Dean is not a coverage savant, he does not get picked on like Roberts did in 2025.
Nakobe Dean's biggest issue in his career has been injuries.
In 2023, he was in and out of the lineup with foot issues, before eventually having surgery for a lisfranc injury.
And in 2024, a breakout season, he tore his patella tendon in the playoffs, causing him to miss the Super Bowl and the first 5 weeks of 2025.
It's not so much a concern of him being "injury prone", but rather a worry that these major injuries will cause Dean's decline to occur sooner. I'm not too worried about that happening during this 3 year contract, though, as Dean will have just turned 28 at the end of the deal.
Dean's downhill trigger is excellent. In the run game, but it also shows up when headed to tackled the checkdown.
His recognition helps out in those areas as well. Dean is discipline, he refuses to fall for ball fakes and play-action. In fact, it's almost eerie how long he waits to move after the snap of the ball. He refuses to end up out of position.
Dean's recognition and trigger are evident when he's bringing down receivers of RPOs, as well as hanging on to cutback lanes against the run.
Dean is also an incredible blitzer, mostly due to the sheer strength he possesses. He has not done it much in his career, but Dean blows up pass protecting RBs when he rushes, which always effects the QB.
Dean wasn't the only linebacker the Raiders signed this offseason, as they brought in fellow 2022 draftee from the Georgia Bulldogs, Quay Walker. I believe Dean is the better of the two, but regardless, they will provide a massive upgrade on the second level.
The Raiders run defense was good in 2025, and might even be better in 2026.
Draftee
DB Treydan Stukes
Las Vegas made Stukes the 38th pick of this years' draft, a versatile DB out of the University of Arizona.
Stukes spent six years at Arizona and will turn 25 before Week 2. He redshirted as a freshman, and gained an additional year due COVID and missing a large chunk of 2024 with an ACL tear.
Here is a cut-up of Stukes' 2025, courtesy of @NewEraMiah on Twitter/X.
A lot has happened in the Raiders defensive backfield the last two years.
CB Eric Stokes, who signed a 1 year "prove it" deal in 2025, did indeed prove it and re-upped for 3 seasons
CB Darien Porter Jr was a 3rd round pick in 2025 and played a lot of snaps on the outside
LV traded for nickel CB Taron Johnson, who has been a staple in the slot for the last 8 years in Buffalo
S Jeremy Chinn is in the second year of a 2 year deal. He played all over the Raiders defense in 2025, lining up on the line of scrimmage, at LB, in the slot, and at free.
S Isaiah Pola-Mao is in the second year of a 2 year extension and has become a good deep safety for Las Vegas
Stukes was drafted in the 2nd round
CB Jermod McCoy, a projected 1st rounder, was drafted in the 4th round
S Dalton Johnson, Stukes teammate at Arizona, was taken in the 5th round
CB Hezekiah Masses was taken in the 5th round
The Raiders have given themselves tons of options and I am loving it.
I would say, despite all of these names, Stukes is high on the priority list in Las Vegas. I expect the Raiders to put him on the field wherever he performs best, regardless of who else is there.
But where will Stukes play?
That's the beauty of him, and why he skyrocketed to the top of the 2nd round in April.
The 24 year old who ran a 4.33 40 yard dash at the combine and had 4 INTs in his final year of college ball has tremendous versatility.
Stukes could play split safety or in the nickel.
When watching Stukes, you can tell he has a special feel for the game.
Overall, his combination of athleticism, instincts, and recognition is what gives him versatility in the defensive backfield.
He has the speed and fluidity to stay with deep routes, and the ball skills to not only contest, but execute turnovers.
Stukes does play a bit upright and weighed in at just 190lbs, which may steer the Raiders away from putting him in the slot where he'd have to take on bigger bodies more often.
As I said, I believe the Raiders will put Stukes where they think he is best suited, regardless of the veteran who may be in the way.
If I had to guess, I would say Stukes plays safety alongside Pola-Mao, but Las Vegas uses his and Chinn's versatility to mix up coverages. I'd say Stukes pushes Johnson out of the DB rotation.
Having a piece like this, a strong athlete who seems so refined, to add to a secondary ripe with potential, is just another good building block for this Raiders rebuild.
In-House Player
WR Jack Bech
Bech was the 58th overall pick in 2025, but saw limited playing time. He averaged just 21 snaps a game and saw 29 targets over the course of the season.
The Raiders only made one notable addition to their receiver room in the offseason.
Here is a (very brief) cut-up of some of the good from Bech's rookie year.
Jalen Nailor was the sole noteworthy addition to the Raiders pass catching arsenal this offseason. I love the signing, but the point here is that Bech has a clear pathway to playing time.
There was no apparent reason why Bech should not have been on the field as a rookie, especially after the Jakobi Meyers trade. It took until December for Bech to have a consistent role in the offense.
Bech had 10 catches for 110 yards on 14 targets in the final four games of the season.
The concerns about Bech are clear, but they should not prevent him from seeing the field.
Bech is not particularly fast, but more notably lacks wiggle.
After the catch, he can bounce off of some tacklers, but Bech rarely slips them and stays on his feet. In general, Bech did not show much ability after the catch, but he also did not find himself in many good YAC situations.
The (lack of) speed shows up at the top of his routes, where he often is unable to sell the deep ball, making it more difficult to separate. And he doesn't have the natural separation ability at the top of in and out breaking routes either. So while a strength of Bech's is setting up his routes, the average speed and agility make it hard to separate at times.
Bech has the size to deal with physicality, but it is hard for him to deal with physicality while running routes. He has a good release package, even when pressed, but if the CB is going to be physical off the line of scrimmage, it can get rough for Bech to get out on his route in time.
There are positives to Bech's game that should instill hope into Las Vegas.
I mentioned a couple when discussing his concerns. The YAC isn't great, but he's big and physical enough to bounce off tackles. And the route running is the big thing.
While the speed and "natural wiggle" aren't great, Bech is a bit of a technician. Cornerbacks just don't respect him yet. But Bech sets up his routes incredibly well and seems to always win off the line of scrimmage. He also knows how to find space, whether in the scramble drill or settling into throwing windows.
And while a couple CBs can get to him physically, Bech can certainly handle physicality at the catch point. He's not afraid to get lit up when going after the ball. This matters a lot for his role in Las Vegas.
A reason to have optimism for Bech is his versatility. He can find his way onto the field in any fashion for the Raiders. He can be a big slot, having the body and hands to survive over the middle of the field. But he has the route running to play the Z out wide and help out his QB.
I'm not overly hopeful for Jack Bech having a big-time breakout season, but I do not see a reason for him to not see the field in Year 2. I believe new HC Klint Kubiak will value his toughness and versatility, especially over the other options in the Raiders WR room.
Thanks for reading through our 17th edition of previewing all 32 teams in 3 players! Over halfway there, we should be done before preseason begins.
Let me know who else on the Raiders is worth monitoring this season, good or bad!
Stay tuned for more NFL and 49ers articles, news, and opinions!
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