What Las Vegas Raiders’ plans A, B, C at free safety in 2026 NFL draft should be

BATON ROUGE, LA - OCTOBER 25: AJ Haulcy #13 of the LSU Tigers in action against the Texas A&M Aggies at Tiger Stadium on October 25, 2025 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. (Photo by Gus Stark/LSU/University Images via Getty Images) The Las Vegas Raiders head into the 2026 NFL draft with a need for a true free safety, as the roster currently lacks someone who can patrol the backend of the defense and create turnovers. Luckily, there are a handful of quality options at the position in this year’s draft class, giving the Raiders a few avenues to fill the void in the secondary.

But with a handful of choices, what should Las Vegas’ strategy be to land a quality free safety? Let’s dive into what Plans A, B and C should be during the last weekend in April. Plan A: Trade into mid-20s for Dillon Thieneman To be honest, this is more of a hopeful idea than a legitimate plan.

Mock drafts have Thieneman going as high as 12 to the Dallas Cowboys, and more often than not, he doesn’t make it past the Minnesota Vikings at 18. Even if Minnesota passes on him, Dallas is back on the clock just a couple of spots later. Also, what it would cost for the Raiders to get back into the first round plays a major factor.

However, on the off chance that the Oregon product does slide, that’s an opportunity for John Spytek to make a move and address one of the biggest holes on the defense. This has to be “Plan A” since it involves the first round of the draft, but I’d expect Spytek to quickly pivot, especially if finding a reasonable trade partner is difficult. Las Vegas doesn’t need to be desperate with a few options on Day 2 of the draft.