But with it, comes renewed hopes and vigor for the 32 NFL teams that engaged in adding promising prospects over the course of the seven-round excursion. The Las Vegas Raiders were one of those squads. As were the other trio of AFC West teams.
You’ve likely seen draft grades arrive aplenty, and if you haven’t read it yet, check out our Matt Holder’s Raiders’ winners and losers as he highlights wide receiver Jack Bech is a victor. As for the Silver & Black overall, general manager John Spytek received overwhelming praise for the team’s draft haul. Many major outlets doled out A to B grades for Las Vegas draft class noting the value the Raiders hit upon in the middle of the draft.
best value 2026 NFL draft classes1. Commanders2. Panthers3. Colts4. Bengals5. Jets6. Giants7. Buccaneers8. Raiders9. Falcons10. Chiefssee pic for 1-32 plus methodologyREAD FULL ANALYSIS:https://t.co/RaVIrqOuUjteam-by-team & round-by-round analysis to follow 🧵 pic.twitter.com/P9BAQwNGHW
That noted, let’s dive into the prospects the Raiders’ AFC West foes selected that’ll give the Silver & Black headaches if properly developed:
The Chiefs’ cornerback churn continues (how’s that for alliteration) as the team traded up to land a premiere prospect to replace two key departs at the position group: Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson. Delane fits the Steve Spagnuolo profile perfectly with the ability to be physical at the line of scrimmage with a jolt of a jam and press-man coverage skillset.
Delane is a smooth cornerback who has the potential to be an NFL shutdown corner that can mirror and turn-and-go without any wasted movement. While primarily a perimeter cornerback, Delane is likely to see time all over the alignment and potentially in the nickel where Spagnuolo loves to send his slot cornerback to flatten the quarterback.
As a cover man and physical and willing tackler, Delane has the makings of a complete cornerback that can stick to receivers like glue — making life tough for either Raiders quarterbacks Kirk Cousins or rookie Fernando Mendoza — and be an asset in the run game — for years to come.
Chiefs select Oklahoma EDGE R Mason Thomas Kansas City adds a pass rusher early on Day 2 🔥 pic.twitter.com/1GxoMp3aph
While the Chiefs’ first-round selection fit the defensive scheme to perfection, this edge rusher represents an intriguing pivot to what Spagnuolo has traditionally deployed. At 6-foot-2 and 241 pounds, Thomas is a departure from the heavier, long-armed pass rushers that Kansas City deploys under Spagnuolo’s play calling.
Thomas is an explosive speed rusher in comparison to his teammates George Karlaftis and Mike Danna and is the lightning option. While the bigger and stronger edge rushers can wear down the opposition, Thomas’ quick first step and bend will allow him to come screaming around the edge for a speed element the Chiefs are sorely lacking.
Combine the athleticism with a relentless motor and the Raiders will need t contend with traditional power and now a speed element to Spagnuolo’s defense with Thomas in tow.
Knock this first-rounders age all you want (already 25 years old) but with a lightning-quick first step and a violent nature, this Hurricane’s addition provides quite the sledgehammer alongside Khail Mack, Tuli Tuipulotu, and Bud Dupree.
As an older prospect, Mesidor brings solid power, speed, and violence as he has quick and strong hands like a boxer and the bend and lower body strength to jolt blockers. A natural outside rusher, Miami moved Mesidor inside to rush and with both a high motor and mentality to inflict pain, he was equal parts sack master and run wrecker. The Raiders offensive line, tight ends, and tailbacks need to be on point with Mesidor (and Thomas) joining the AFC West.
Brenen Thompson (81 YPG) was the fastest prospect at the NFL Combine. I thought his ball tracking given the high level of difficulty was strong. He also faced a ton of press man coverage in the SEC. Clear Round 3 target for me. pic.twitter.com/cWOmhT3AaN
105th overall: Brenen Thompson, Wide Receiver, Mississippi State
If he needed even more speed, the Bolts give new offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel a scintillating wideout in the fourth round as Thompson clocked a 4.26-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine — tops at the annual event. With an SEC-leading 18.4 yards of average depth of target, Thompson was an explosive element of Bulldogs’ offense snaring five passes of 50-plus yards in 2025.
Thompson may be diminutive at 5-foot-9 and 164 pounds but that pure speed will make defenses take the wideout into account whenever he’s on the field. He’s a home-run vertical threat and a potential yards after catch (YAC) nightmare. Good thing the Raiders invested four draft picks in defensive backs prospects over the three-day draft, no?
108th overall: Jonah Coleman, Running Back, Washington
Compact but well-built at 5-foot-8 and 220 pounds, this Huskies tailback fits what head coach Sean Payton seeks from his running backs in Denver. Equal parts bowling ball ball carrier with low center of gravity and nifty route runner as a pass catcher, Coleman is a versatile and intelligent three-down prospect.
Coleman isn’t going to wow you with pure speed, but he is a tough inside runner with a nose for the end zone (25 touchdowns over the last two seasons at Washington). But beyond all that, Coleman is an avid pass blocker — and that’s a sure-fire way to make an NFL roster and earn snaps as a running back. It’s all that which I highlighted pre-draft as to why Coleman is one of a few prospects who would be ideal complementary backs for the Raiders.