The Las Vegas Raiders walked into the 2026 offseason with a clear mission: stop being a team that fades in December and start looking like one that can hang in January. General manager John Spytek went to work. He signed Kirk Cousins at quarterback, drafted Fernando Mendoza for the future, and upgraded the offensive line with All-Pro center Tyler Linderbaum and guard Spencer Burford. The defense got a jolt too. Kwity Paye joins Maxx Crosby off the edge. Quay Walker and Nakobe Dean add speed at linebacker. Taron Johnson, one of the best slot corners in the league, shores up the secondary.
On paper, this is a legitimate roster. But paper doesn’t play Patrick Mahomes in January. And the one spot that still looks thin could be the difference between a deep playoff run and another early exit.
It’s the cornerbacks
The Raiders feel good about Taron Johnson inside. They should. He’s a proven, versatile defender who can handle tight ends, slot receivers, and disguise coverages well enough to buy the pass rush an extra half-second. The problem is what happens on the outside.
Right now Eric Stokes is penciled in at one boundary corner. He’s shown flashes of starting-level play in his career, but he’s also dealt with injuries and inconsistency. Darien Porter is the leading candidate for the other starting job. He’s talented. He’s also largely unproven against the kind of receivers he’ll see weekly in the AFC. That’s a lot of uncertainty at a position where you really can’t afford any.
Elite quarterbacks don’t need much help
The AFC is loaded with quarterbacks who will make you pay for even small coverage mistakes. Mahomes. Josh Allen. Joe Burrow. C.J. Stroud. Justin Herbert. Lamar Jackson. That’s six quarterbacks who can beat single coverage and force defensive coordinators into tough calls before the snap. If the Raiders can’t trust their outside corners to hold up one-on-one, they’ll have to shade safeties toward the boundary. That opens up the middle of the field. It leaves linebackers on islands underneath. It makes blitz packages easier to read because the defensive backs can’t rotate as freely after the snap. Against elite quarterbacks, those compromises get exploited fast.
Pass rush needs a partner
The Raiders have invested heavily in getting after the quarterback. Crosby is a proven game-wrecker. Paye gives them another athletic, physical presence off the edge. Walker and Dean improve the speed and pursuit at linebacker. But even the best pass rush needs help. If receivers separate quickly off the line, quarterbacks can get the ball out before the rush even gets close. That puts the pressure on Stokes and Porter to jam receivers, disrupt timing, and force the quarterback to hold the ball a tick longer. If they do that, Crosby and Paye become nightmares. If they don’t, opposing offenses will work quick-game concepts and isolation routes all day long, and the front seven won’t get the chance to make much of an impact.
The Raiders have done almost everything right this offseason. Their quarterback room is better. The offensive line is stronger. The front seven is faster and deeper. They’re built to compete for a playoff spot right now. But Super Bowl windows don’t stay open forever. If Stokes stays healthy and plays closer to his best, and Porter develops into a reliable starter, this defense could be one of the better units in the AFC. If injuries hit again or inconsistency shows up against elite receivers, the Raiders may find themselves adjusting all game long, and that’s a dangerous place to be against the league’s best quarterbacks.
They have one hole left to fill. And it might be the one that keeps them out of the Super Bowl.
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