The Las Vegas Raiders entered the offseason with visible needs and questions about their previous season. Through the early stages of NFL free agency, the Raiders have begun to answer some of those questions. By doing so, they may have positioned themselves as a potential playoff contender.
Las Vegas came out with an aggressive strategy, adding a mix of veteran talent and younger players to fill in gaps on both sides of the ball. The Raiders are signaling a shift toward immediate competitiveness rather than sitting in a long-term rebuilding loop.
The largest signing for Las Vegas so far was center Tyler Linderbaum on a three-year, $81 million contract.
Linderbaum had four outstanding seasons with the Baltimore Ravens, and the Raiders had lots of struggles with pass and run protection last season. Linderbaum provided lots of protection for quarterback Lamar Jackson last season holding a 80.2 Pro Football Focus grade, which was the best available offensive lineman on the market.
The Raiders also signed two linebackers during free agency to build up some depth defensively, including Nakobe Dean from the Philadelphia Eagles on a three-year, $36 million contract.
Dean has struggled with injuries throughout his career, but when healthy, he was consistent on the field. In just 27 starts, Dean has collected three forced-fumbles and 19 tackles for a loss.
To pair with Dean, Las Vegas acquired Quay Walker from the Green Bay Packers on a three-year, $40.5 million deal as well.
With the Maxx Crosby trade falling through with the Baltimore Ravens and him landing back in Las Vegas as well as their two first round picks, the Raiders will have the opportunity to send more pressure now that they have more reliable linebackers.
In the secondary, the Raiders were able to re-sign Eric Stokes on a three-year, $30 million contract. The Raiders secondary struggled last season, but Stokes was one of their reliable options to consistently guard the offense’s top option.
On offense, after trading wide receiver Jakobi Meyers to the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Raiders were running low on receiver depth. The Raiders added wide receiver Jalen Nailor on a three-year, $35 million contract from the Minnesota Vikings.
Nailor is a great addition for the Raiders after racking up 29 receptions and four touchdowns as the wide receiver three in Minnesota. Tre Tucker, Jack Bech, and Dont’e Thornton Jr. are still developing as receivers and have shown tons of potential, just like Nailor has, which will pair this group together well and open up the playbook to more variety.
On top of all of this, the Las Vegas Raiders head into the 2026 NFL Draft with the first overall pick of the entire draft. Most speculate they will draft last season’s Heisman Trophy winner and National Champion Fernando Mendoza, from Indiana University Bloomington.
Coming into the 2026 NFL Season, if the Raiders continue to play their cards right, they could compete in one of the toughest divisions in the NFL, the AFC West. Facing off against the Kansas City Chiefs, Denver Broncos, and the Los Angeles Chargers two times each a season is definitely not easy, but the Raiders are developing a roster that can take on those top-notch teams.