The Las Vegas Raiders are rebuilding. They want Mike Washington to be part of their plans.
Mike Washington was not the first Arkansas football player off the board at the 2026 NFL Draft. He wasn't the big story of the draft, either -- Taylen Green is the foremost focus of curiosity for a lot of fans and draft experts. Julian Neal going to the Seattle Seahawks is a great fit and outcome for him, but that story didn't make huge national headlines. Mike Washington went under the radar, but in the end, he found his first NFL home.
Vegas, baby!
The Las Vegas Raiders are rebuilding this season. They are starting over. They bottomed out in 2025 and finally realized -- years too late -- that they were not a playoff team and needed to tear things down. They hired a new head coach, Klint Kubiak, to replace Pete Carroll. They sent veteran quarterback Geno Smith packing. They got the No. 1 pick in the draft and took quarterback Fernando Mendoza.
Mike Washington being picked by the Raiders is a show of respect for Washington's talents. The Raiders believe Washington can help them in this rebuilding effort. The really interesting question, however, is why the Raiders took a running back when they already have Heisman Trophy runner-up Ashton Jeanty on their roster. It's true that Jeanty took a pounding last season, and Washington -- as a fourth-rounder -- will play in a backup role, not as a starter. That seems clear enough. Yet, the Raiders had so many big needs other than running back. They still felt it was important enough to take Washington in the middle of the draft.
Washington won't just compete with Jeanty in the running back room; he will learn the Raiders' offense -- Kubiak's offense -- alongside Mendoza, the 2025 Heisman winner. There's a Heisman winner and a Heisman runner-up in the Raider backfield ... and then there's Mike Washington. It will be important for Washington to look past the labels and the media scrutiny that might come his way. Playing for a rebuilding team means there isn't instant pressure to make the playoffs. Mike Washington's focus should be on developing as a player and learning Kubiak's system as fully as possible.
It won't be dull or boring for Mike Washington. There's a lot of work to do -- and a lot of catch-up to play -- for the Raiders, who have been one of the least successful NFL franchises over the past 20 years. The absence of boredom is perfect for Vegas. Let's see how Mike Washington handles life as a teammate of a high-profile quarterback and RB1 with the Raiders.