Las Vegas Raiders 53-man roster projection post 2026 NFL draft

HENDERSON, NEVADA - FEBRUARY 10: Klint Kubiak (L) and general manager John Spytek of the Las Vegas Raiders attend a news conference introducing Kubiak as the head coach of the Raiders at the Las Vegas Raiders Headquarters/Intermountain Health Performance Center on February 10, 2026 in Henderson, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) | Getty Images The Las Vegas Raiders are a long way away from having to make the final 53-man roster decision, and currently have a small army after making 10 picks in the 2026 NFL draft , signing 18 undrafted free agents and inviting a handful of players to rookie minicamp. But the conclusion of the draft gives us an opportunity to get an early look at who will be entering training camp on the roster bubble, and that’s going to be especially significant with the defensive backs after John Sptyek used four out of his 10 picks on the position group.

Quarterback Starter: Kirk Cousins Backup: Fernando Mendoza (R) , Aidan O’Connell Cut: Sawyer Robertson (R), Jacob Clark (R) The biggest question at quarterback is: When does Mendoza take over as the starter? That should happen eventually, but right now, Cousins is expected to be the Raiders’ QB1. Then, it’s a matter of whether the coaching staff wants to keep three quarterbacks and if that’s O’Connell or one of the undrafted rookies.

Considering he’s entering a contract year, it wouldn’t be surprising if AOC gets traded to a team that’s looking for a backup. Running Back Starter: Ashton Jeanty Backups: Mike Washington Jr. , Connor Heyward (FB) , Dylan Laube Cut: Chris Collier, Roman Henby (R) Klint Kubiak has his two-back system in place with Jeanty and Washington leading the charge , and Heyward will be the lead blocker out of the backfield.

Meanwhile, it feels like Laube is entering a “now or never” type of season, needing to prove himself heading into year three. His competition is less with the other running backs on the roster, where his primary focus should be on winning the kick and/or punt return duties. Wide Receiver 3-Wide: Tre Tucker, Jalen Nailor, Jack Bech Backups: Dareke Young, Malik Benson (R) Cut: Dont’e Thornton Jr.