Las Vegas Raiders

Dead-cap obligations of $51.8M, ranked 8th heaviest in the league, squeeze an already average cap room of $1618.8M and leave very little margin for aggressive roster moves right now.

19 contracts expiring

Madden Tools Analysis

Four starting spots have weak depth behind the starter.

Six picks headlined by five first-round selections give the Raiders an extraordinary rebuilding toolkit that turns an otherwise grim roster situation into a genuine opportunity.

• Traded away: Round 7 to Bills, this draft

The roster's clearest strength is its edge-rushing and tight-end combination headlined by a 97-overall Maxx Crosby and a 93-overall Brock Bowers, while the defensive tackle group, ranked last in the league at the starter level, is the most glaring weakness.

• DThigh

  The interior defensive line is ranked dead last among starters and 28th in depth, with Folorunso Fatukasi leading a group that needs significant reinforcement.

• LGhigh

  Spencer Burford sits second on a depth chart started by Caleb Rogers, and the group ranks 30th at the starter level, making left guard a glaring priority.

• QBhigh

  Kirk Cousins starts but is well into the late stage of his career, and while Fernando Mendoza carries Superstar dev potential at 23, the position ranks 30th among starters.

• RThigh

  Trey Zuhn III holds the starting job at 72 overall, but the position ranks 28th among starters and needs either development or an upgrade to hold the line.

• WRhigh

  Tre Tucker and Jalen Nailor lead the receiver room ranked 31st at the starter level, making wide receiver one of the most urgent upgrade targets on the roster.

• FSmedium

  Treydan Stukes starts at 76 overall with Star dev upside, but the group ranks 25th at the starter level and the depth behind him is thin.

• MIKEmedium

  Nakobe Dean mans the middle at 78 overall, though the position ranks 24th among starters and the depth drops off quickly behind him.

• REDGElow

  Kwity Paye holds the starting role at 78 overall, and with Keyron Crawford behind him at 22 with Star dev, the position has a path to improvement but is currently 20th.

• 67Aidan O'ConnellQBAidan O'Connell sits third on the depth chart at 67 overall, and releasing him frees $3.7M against only $120K in dead money, making him an easy cut to create cap space.Frees $3.7M · $120.0K dead
• 66Thomas Booker IVDTThomas Booker IV is a 66-overall backup on the league's worst DT depth chart, and his release costs nothing in dead money while freeing $3.7M that can be redirected toward an upgrade at the position.Frees $3.7M · $0 dead
• 75Malcolm KoonceLEDGEMalcolm Koonce backs up Crosby at 75 overall, but cutting him carries $5.8M in dead money while only freeing $5.3M, meaning this is a net cap loss and should be approached with caution.Frees $5.3M · $5.8M dead
• 71Isaiah Pola-MaoFSIsaiah Pola-Mao is the second safety on the depth chart at 71 overall, and releasing him frees $3.3M against $1.1M in dead money for a net gain of roughly $2.2M.Frees $3.3M · $1.1M dead
• 62Tristin McCollumFSTristin McCollum is the third free safety at 62 overall, and his release carries no dead money while freeing $1.1M, making him a straightforward roster trim.Frees $1.1M · $0 dead

The Raiders own one of the most lopsided rosters in the league, built around a generational pass rusher in Maxx Crosby, a premier young tight end in Brock Bowers, and a promising young backfield anchor in Ashton Jeanty, but those stars sit behind an offense that lacks a capable quarterback and a receiving corps ranked near the bottom of the league. Kirk Cousins is starting but entering the final chapter of his career, and while Fernando Mendoza at 23 with Superstar dev trait represents real hope at the position, he is not yet ready to carry a team. The offensive line has genuine bright spots in Kolton Miller and Tyler Linderbaum, but left guard and right tackle are significant liabilities. Defensively, Crosby elevates everything, but the defensive tackle room is the worst in the league by starter ranking and the linebacker corps is middling. The dead-cap figure of $51.8M ranks among the heaviest in football, limiting roster moves in the near term, though committed spending drops sharply to $65.7M three seasons out, which opens a meaningful window to reshape the team. With Bowers and Jeanty both under 23 and carrying elite dev traits, the long-term core is legitimate, but the team must survive several difficult transitional seasons before the cap clears and the young nucleus fully matures.

The Raiders were founded on January 30, 1960, in Oakland, California, as the eighth charter franchise of the American Football League (AFL), joining as a late replacement after the Minneapolis franchise defected to the NFL. After three losing early seasons, the club hired Al Davis as head coach and general manager in 1963; Davis installed an aggressive vertical passing attack, winning the 1967 AFL Championship and reaching Super Bowl II. Davis became part-owner in 1966 and eventually principal owner, ruling with the motto "Just win, baby" until his death in 2011. The Raiders joined the NFL in the 1970 AFL-NFL merger. Under head coach John Madden (1969-1978) they won their first Super Bowl (XI) after the 1976 season, and Tom Flores led the team to a second title in Super Bowl XV after the 1980 season. In 1982, after Davis won a landmark antitrust battle with the NFL, the franchise relocated to Los Angeles, where the Raiders won Super Bowl XVIII following the 1983 season, the franchise's third title. Davis returned the team to Oakland in 1995; the second Oakland era included a Super Bowl XXXVII appearance after the 2002 season. The NFL approved the team's move to Las Vegas in 2017, and the Raiders began play at Allegiant Stadium as the Las Vegas Raiders in 2020. All told, the franchise has won three Super Bowls, one AFL Championship, and numerous division titles across its Oakland, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas eras.