The Las Vegas Raiders got a lot better during the 2026 NFL Draft. Las Vegas had one of the best hauls from the draft this year, due in large part to finding a franchise quarterback in Fernando Mendoza. But the Raiders did so much more than simply drafting a quarterback and calling it a day.
Las Vegas made some massive improvements on both sides of the ball in the draft. Mendoza may have the biggest impact of any Raiders rookie this fall, but almost everyone will be playing their part on the field.
One natural byproduct of such a youth movement is that some veteran players will see their snap volume reduced. Ultimately that should be great news for the organization, but could feature some rocky moments in 2026 during the adjustment period.
Will any Raiders rookie not named Mendoza steal a starter’s job this fall? Or will the veterans take control in Las Vegas?
One Raiders player stands out as the starter in the most danger of losing his job to a rookie during the 2026 season.
Treydan Stukes, Jermod McCoy could both compete for starting jobs during training camp
Las Vegas started the offseason with some huge needs in their secondary. To their credit, they’ve spent the entire offseason fixing those problems.
The Raiders retained Eric Stokes on a long-term deal during NFL free agency. They also acquired veteran Taron Johnson from the Bills in a trade (more on him in the next section.) But they kept the pressure on during the draft, adding multiple playmakers.
Vegas used a second-round pick on safety Treydan Stukes, a player who could transform their secondary. Scouts rave about Stukes’ football character and leadership abilities, something the Raiders sorely need in their secondary. Maxx Crosby is a great leader, but he could certainly use some help from players like Stukes. The Raiders also took a shot on Jermod McCoy, gambling that his ACL injury will not limit his professional career.
This is all great news for the Raiders as a team. They now have more options on defense and can determine who their best starters are during training camp and the preseason. Having options is always great, especially in the NFL.
Stukes and McCoy both have the talent needed to compete for starting jobs during their rookie season. There’s no telling yet if either player will start, but there’s a chance.
If that happens though, it means that a veteran will end up losing their starting job in the process.
Will the increased competition cost Taron Johnson his starting job?
Johnson could end up being the victim of increased competition in Las Vegas.
The most obvious reason is because Stukes plays essentially the same role that Johnson does in a modern NFL defense. Both are excellent options playing in the slot, though they have the skills needed to play elsewhere. But Stukes’ background as a safety could make him more appealing on paper than Johnson, who has only played a handful of snaps outside of the box or slot throughout his career.
Stukes still needs to steal Johnson’s job and it will not be handed to the rookie. But the fact that both players will be in direct competition means that somebody will get disappointed. If everything else is equal, youth could win out on a rebuilding team.
But McCoy could play a role here too. If he hits the ground running and wins a starting job on the outside, that would force either Stokes or Darien Porter out of a starting job. In that situation, it is at least possible that Las Vegas would consider playing either player in the slot simply to get their best 11 defenders on the field.
To be clear, Johnson still has the inside track to start in the slot on Week 1. But the increased competition in Las Vegas could kick him from that starting job sooner than most fans might anticipate.
It will be fascinating to watch how the Raiders dish out reps during training camp later this summer. That will be the first big clue about how Las Vegas intends to start the season.
The Las Vegas Raiders got a lot better during the 2026 NFL Draft. Las Vegas had one of the best hauls from the draft this year, due in large part to finding a franchise quarterback in Fernando Mendoza. But the Raiders did so much more than simply drafting a quarterback and calling it a day.