3 Late-Round NFL Draft Sleepers the Raiders Must Find

Las Vegas needs to bolster its roster through the draft after a dismal 2025 season.

Apr. 16, 2026 at 7:07pm

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A cubist, geometric painting depicting fragmented football players and draft prospects, conveying the Raiders' need to strategically rebuild their roster through the draft.The Raiders' roster rebuild will require shrewd drafting to uncover hidden gems and fill key holes across the team.Las Vegas Today

The Las Vegas Raiders are in desperate need of a productive NFL Draft as they look to rebuild their roster from the ground up. The team has suffered from roster decay, with the bottom falling out during the 2025 season. The Raiders' front office is determined to fix things, and they have identified three key position groups they must target with their mid- and late-round picks: offensive line, safety, and cornerback.

Why it matters

The Raiders have several holes to fill on their roster, and the draft represents a crucial opportunity for them to add depth and talent at key positions. After a dismal 2025 season, the team is under pressure to make significant improvements and become competitive again in the tough AFC West division.

The details

The Raiders must focus on rebuilding their offensive line, which was decimated by injuries last season. They need to find depth at both offensive guard and tackle to protect their quarterback and open up running lanes. The team also needs to add safety depth, with their two starters set to become free agents after the 2026 season. Additionally, the Raiders have one of the worst cornerback groups in the league and must find at least two new corners in the draft to compete in the pass-heavy AFC West.

  • The 2026 NFL Draft will take place in late April.
  • The Raiders' two starting safeties, Jeremy Chinn and Isaiah Pola-Mao, are set to become free agents after the 2026 season.

The players

Kolton Miller

The Raiders' starting left tackle, who has been one of the best in the league but is working his way back from an injury that held him out nearly all of last season.

Fernando Mendoza

A player the Raiders recently added to their roster.

Spencer Burford

An offensive guard the Raiders added in free agency to help bolster their offensive line.

Jeremy Chinn

One of the Raiders' starting safeties, who is set to become a free agent after the 2026 season.

Isaiah Pola-Mao

The other of the Raiders' starting safeties, who is also set to become a free agent after the 2026 season.

Eric Stokes

A cornerback the Raiders signed to a long-term deal after he had a productive 2025 season.

Taron Johnson

A veteran cornerback the Raiders traded for.

Darien Porter

A cornerback the Raiders expect to take the next step in his development.

John Spytek

The Raiders' general manager, who has been vocal about his preference for offensive linemen.

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What they’re saying

“There's a good group of offensive linemen, there's a good group of receivers, there's some position groups that are pretty deep in the class. There's players that should have opportunity all through the draft. So, there's good players this year for sure.”

— John Spytek, Raiders General Manager

“I think you always want to talk about the depth of the draft class. I mean, it usually takes a couple years to really figure that out, but I will say that it does feel the safety group has been mentioned. It feels like it's a good safety group.”

— John Spytek, Raiders General Manager

What’s next

The Raiders will have the opportunity to address their roster needs during the 2026 NFL Draft, which is scheduled to take place in late April.

The takeaway

The Raiders have a lot of work to do to rebuild their roster after a dismal 2025 season. The draft represents a crucial opportunity for them to add depth and talent at key positions, particularly along the offensive line, in the secondary, and at cornerback. If they can find productive players in the mid- and late rounds, it could go a long way towards helping the team become competitive again in the tough AFC West.