The Raiders are back in action after a 3-14 finish, good for last in the AFC West last season. Las Vegas has a new coaching staff as Klint Kubiak takes over after coming from Seattle, and Andrew Janocko follows as offensive coordinator. Kirk Cousins comes over from Atlanta to be the starting quarterback, while No. 1 overall pick and Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza waits in the wings to make his mark in the NFL. Ashton Jeanty returns as the primary running back, and Arkansas rookie Mike Washington is another player the Raiders have high hopes for. They return four of the top five receivers from a year ago, including Tre Tucker, Jack Bech, and tight end Brock Bowers. The Raiders also welcome former Minnesota Viking Jalen Nailor. The offensive line returns D.J. Glaze, Kolton Miller, Jackson Powers-Johnson, and Caleb Rogers, while adding two new starters in Spencer Burford from San Francisco and Tyler Linderbaum from Baltimore.
Rob Leonard will take over as defensive coordinator. The Raiders return eight of their top eleven tacklers from the 2025 campaign. Maxx Crosby returns to the defensive line after a trade with the Ravens didn’t go through, along with Adam Butler, Thomas Booker, and Jonah Laulu. Kwity Paye joins the unit after spending last season with the Colts. The Raiders brought in two new starting linebackers, Quay Walker from the Packers and Nakobe Dean from the Eagles, while the secondary returns Eric Stokes, Darien Porter, Jeremy Chinn, and Isaiah Pola-Mao. Taron Johnson joins the unit after coming over from Buffalo, as does Arizona rookie Traydan Stukes.
Joe DeCamillis takes over as special teams coach as he returns to the NFL after spending time at South Carolina. Matt Gay comes over from San Francisco to take over the field goal duties, while A.J. Cole returns as the punter. Tre Tucker will be the primary returner for the Raiders. A new coaching staff across the board and a new quarterback will certainly bring growing pains. Raiders fans might not have playoff hopes in the cards, but they do have the luxury of building around No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza, who could set them up for future success.