The Las Vegas Raiders got one of the best secondary players in the entire draft, and it\u2019s only a matter of time before he shows that.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t![\"Las](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/USATSI_27538028-2-scaled.jpg\")
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tNov 8, 2025; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Arizona Wildcats defensive back Treydan Stukes (2) celebrates during the first quarter of the game against the Kansas Jayhawks at Arizona Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAryanna Frank-Imagn Images<\/p>\n
The Las Vegas Raiders took safety Treydan Stukes at the top of the second round <\/a>of the 2026 NFL Draft for a reason.<\/p>\n Sure, he\u2019s very versatile\u2014plays nickel, outside corner, and free safety. Yes, he can be a ball hawk with acrobatic interceptions and polarizing pass deflections. However, his best trait is undoubtedly his intelligence on the football field. This is why there were general managers who think he is the second-best safety in this class behind Caleb Downs<\/a>.<\/p>\n His IQ is something Stukes certainly takes pride in.<\/p>\n \u201cWe used to have a coach who said, \u2018The days of the dumb jock are over,\u2019 and it\u2019s very true. You have to be smart to play high-level football,\u201d Stukes told reporters. \u201cThere are a lot of moving parts. There are a lot of things going on, and if you want to be able to keep up and adjust in real time, you\u2019ve got to have the brain processing power to do so, especially playing safety.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re the quarterback of the defense. So, yeah, I think just having that higher intellect and keep continuing to train my brain just helps me process things faster and digest and do different things on the field and be able to make those real-time decisions, snap decisions in seconds.\u201d<\/p>\n Stukes is the type of player the Raiders can build the secondary around for years to come<\/p>\n I know a lot of people are concerned with Stukes\u2019 age. He\u2019s a safety who will be 25 by the time he starts his rookie season, as he was born on 9\/11. And that is, admittedly, old for a rookie. However, the Raiders shouldn\u2019t be worried about that for two reasons. One, they\u2019re in the business of getting good football players right now. They are not in the business of worrying about a player\u2019s age right now.<\/p>\n Secondly, Stukes is the type of player who you won\u2019t have to worry about age with as much because of the kind of role he will play. He will be that free-safety kind of player who roams the field and can be a centerfielder. Now, will he get some bumps and bruises and find himself in some physical situations? Absolutely. Will he be playing that box safety role that finds him mixing it up with players much bigger than him? Not often, as that will be Jeremy Chinn or Isaiah Pola-Mao\u2019s job.<\/p>\n
![\"Las](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/USATSI_27700439-200x200.jpg\")
\t\t<\/p>\n