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Two offseasons ago, the Las Vegas Raiders hired John Spytek as their general manager, tasking him with rebuilding one of the worst rosters in the National Football League. Since relocating to Las Vegas, the Raiders have had largely disappointing seasons. A bad roster was the primary reason.
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In his first offseason with the team, Spytek did the most he could with limited resources. The Raiders made small moves in free agency that netted them affordable but quality starters. In Spytek’s first draft, Las Vegas added multiple players they expect to contribute in the coming years.
The Raiders entered Spytek’s second offseason with more cap space and more draft picks than any other team in the league. It was a far cry from where Spytek and the Raiders were last offseason. Las Vegas made waves of additions this offseason, quickly improving the roster’s overall talent.
The Raiders take the field against the Miami Dolphins on Sunday in their first game under head coach Klint Kubiak. Week 1 will see a very different Raiders team than the one that last took the field in January. They hope an improved roster will lead to improved results.
Youth Is Critical for a Rebuild
Under Kubiak, the Raiders plan to lean into the fact that they have flipped their roster from one of the oldest in the league to one of the youngest. Although Las Vegas will continue to add to their roster in coming seasons, Kubiak knows turning the roster around will require more than that.
“That’s our job as coaches to improve our roster, to improve our players, and we obviously realize that when young guys are playing, you got to be cognizant of how much you can load up on them. But we’ve learned a lot about our guys from April until now, and excited for them to go play,” Kubiak said.
Of the young players Las Vegas has on the roster this season, few have shot up the depth chart like rookie safety Treydan Stukes. His success is no surprise, as it was evident early on that he would play a significant role this season. However, his rise to a Week 1 starting position was largely unpredicted.
“I felt like all of a sudden, he [Treydan Stukes] was playing with more confidence. He was playing faster and communicating loudly. I think even he mentioned the other day, it was somewhere in middle of training camp, but those are the decisions that they make to carry themselves a certain way,” Raiders defensive coordinator Rob Leonard said before Thursday’s practice.
The Raiders’ defensive backfield enters the season with major questions. Leonard elaborated on the traits that convinced him to start rookie Stukes in the team’s first game of the season.
“Speed, closing speed, his ability to close is glaring. His ability to cover, good tackler, good blitzer. He’s a great top-down player,” Leonard said.
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Solid Mix of Players
Las Vegas’ decision to start Stukes alongside veteran safety Jeremy Chinn perfectly shows how they plan to use a healthy mix of youth and experience to fuel their rebuild. Experience is nice, but it also comes with plenty of wear and tear on those experienced players’ bodies.
Young players have less experience but have taken less damage at the professional level than experienced players. With Spytek leading the way, Las Vegas’ roster has become a quality mix of both.
Young, but Vital
One of the most critical aspects of how Spytek and the Raiders’ front office have built the roster is not only a healthy mix of experience among the players, but also that several of those young players are already set to play critical roles this season.
The Raiders will feature several rookies, or players with less than three years of experience in starting roles or high enough on the depth chart to expect to contribute this season. Las Vegas added youth and plans to play them early, in critical roles, as the foundation for the future.
Beginning the season as a starter is a big deal, but only his production on Sundays will matter. He has to prove himself on the field during the regular season.
Still, Stukes is a solid example of how Spytek and the Raiders hope that developing their talented young players early will lead to sustainable success.
Today’s best reads
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- Kubiak Aims to Establish a New Reality for the Raiders
- One Primary Focus for Raiders Ahead of Season Opener
- Biggest Snubs From Raiders’ Initial 53-Man Roster
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/raiders/onsi as What Raiders’ Depth Chart Reveals About Spytek’s Most Significant Decisions.
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This story was originally published September 11, 2026 at 3:00 AM.