The Las Vegas Raiders have two major areas of need, one is wide receiver, but the other is a big surprise.
The Las Vegas Raiders just had a very successful draft, and they spent a lot of money in free agency, especially to fix their mediocre defense. It’s clear they’re intent on addressing nearly every aspect of their mediocre roster, but they still have a long way to go.
That was the conclusion reached by Bradley Locker of Pro Football Focus, who identified the Raiders as one of eight teams who have the biggest team needs after the draft. It sounds surprising given the resources the Raiders have allocated and used, but his explanation makes sense when you look at the two major areas he identified and the specifics of what they need their.
Start with wide receiver. This is a common shortcoming in most post-draft evaluations of the Raiders, but Locker put it in a different context when he threw in the PFF grades, which come with a mediocre to poor grade for any number under 70.
The Raiders have been lauded for signing receiver Jalen Nailor, but he finished 2025 with a grade of just 67.1 for the Minnesota Vikings, and Jack Bech, Tre Tucker and Dont’e Thornton Jr. all had receiving grades of 66 or lower. There’s clear need for a field-stretching number one receiver who can supply big plays, but right now the Raiders don’t have that, and no one knows how new coach Klint Kubiak plans to address this need.
The other area Locker focussed on was the interior line, which makes senses given that the Raiders focused on linebackers and edge rushers in free agency, then on defensive backs in the draft. The Raiders now have a group that’s capable of getting after the quarterback, but they may have trouble stopping powerful teams that run up the middle on them this season.
To back up including this area as a Raiders’ key need, Locker noted that the Raiders didn’t draft a defensive tackle until the seventh round, when they took Brandon Cleveland out of NC State. That leaves them with Adam Butler and Jonah Laulu, each of whom finished with a grade below 54 according to the PFF formula.
It’s hard to tell how important this is going to be going into the season. On paper, the Raiders have improved enough to become at least a 6-7 win team, but it’s also not all that hard to do in the NFL. The larger question is whether Kubiak is the guy who can fix the Raiders, or whether he’s just the latest coach in a line of failures that includes Josh McDaniels, Antonio Pierce and Pete Carroll.