The Las Vegas Raiders have a long road ahead before finalizing their 53-man roster, but the dust has settled on the 2026 NFL Draft, giving us an early glimpse at who might be fighting for a spot this summer. With 10 draft picks, 18 undrafted free agent signings, and a handful of rookie minicamp invites, the roster is packed with talent—and that means some tough decisions are coming, especially in the defensive backfield after John Spytek used four of those 10 picks on the position group.

At quarterback, all eyes are on the inevitable transition: When will Mendoza take the reins? It's expected to happen eventually, but for now, Kirk Cousins is locked in as QB1. The real drama lies in whether the coaching staff carries three quarterbacks—and if that third spot goes to Aidan O'Connell or one of the undrafted rookies. Given that O'Connell is entering a contract year, don't be surprised if he's traded to a team in need of a reliable backup.

In the backfield, Klint Kubiak has his two-back system humming with Ashton Jeanty and Mike Washington Jr. leading the charge, while Connor Heyward handles fullback duties as the lead blocker. Dylan Laube, meanwhile, faces a "now or never" season in Year 3—his path to the roster likely hinges on winning the kick and punt return jobs, not competing with the other running backs.

At wide receiver, I'm projecting just five spots, with the "starters" changing week to week based on how much 12-, 21-, and 22-personnel Kubiak uses. If the team decides to keep six receivers, Dont'e Thornton Jr. is the prime candidate to move up from the cut list. But honestly, the line between the backups and the players I've listed as cuts is razor-thin—this position group is as competitive as it gets.

Cut from the current projection: Dont'e Thornton Jr., Phillip Dorsett II, Shedrick Jackson, Brenden Rice, E.J. Williams Jr. (R), and Chase Roberts (R).