It’s been suggested that former head coach Pete Carroll may have exerted too much influence on the Las Vegas Raiders’ roster last season. Klint Kubiak and John Spytek seem to have it figured out.
Feb 10, 2026; Henderson, NV, USA; Las Vegas Raiders coach Klint Kubiak (left) and general manager John Spytek at introductory press conference at Intermountain Health Performance Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
The Las Vegas Raiders will look to the 2026 NFL Draft to address needs on both sides of the ball, but their top priority with the No. 1 pick is likely selecting quarterback Fernando Mendoza.
As for the rest of the roster, we really have no idea what this team will do. Usually, with teams, you can get an idea of what they may do based on the tendencies of both the general manager and head coach. But, in this situation, it’s only John Spytek’s second draft, Klint Kubiak’s first as a head coach, and both of their first time working together. So, how will this pre-draft process go? Who’s making the decisions, and what does the process look like?
#Raiders HC Klint Kubiak: “It’s a daily convo with John and our scouts. We are spending a lot of time by ourselves watching tape the taking together about what we see.”
On the collective collaborations so far for the draft
— Justin Churchill (@ChurchillAtoZ) March 31, 2026
“Just with the pick itself, it’s just a daily conversation with John [Spytek] and our scouts,” Kubiak said at the NFL Owners Meetings. “We have draft meetings coming up when we get back here, but we’re really spending a lot of time by ourselves watching tape, then we come together later in the day to talk about what we see and start putting our board together. So, it’s just an ongoing process all the way up to draft day.”
It’s clear these two trust one another and have a good understanding of what it takes to build a good roster. It’s also clear that Kubiak is going to lean on his GM to build the roster in the best way possible. I’m not sure that could have been said last season with Pete Carroll.
Kubiak seems to be doing what Carroll couldn’t with Spytek
Now, we will never know for sure, but it definitely feels like Carroll had the most influence on the roster last season. Anytime you looked at a player who was made as a new addition, it was adamant that they were a “Pete Carroll-type player.” Or, in other words, they were the same style, similar to what Carroll did historically.
It didn’t feel like Spytek had much say in the roster. And maybe we are wrong. But it’s also important to remember that he was a first-time GM last season, and so maybe he was leaning on the guy who has won a Super Bowl before. But every aspect of the roster last season had Carroll’s fingerprints on it, even the draft class. This time, it feels different. It feels balanced. Of course, we won’t really know that until after the draft, though.
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The Las Vegas Raiders don’t have a huge need at offensive tackle, especially when it comes to starter-level talent, but it’s hard not to have interest in Memphis OT Travis Burke, who’s 6’9.