The Las Vegas Raiders are on the rise as a franchise. The Raiders made moves this offseason to improve their roster, with the results of that already showing in the preseason, and have a structure in place to build upon whatever success they experience in 2026 for the remainder of the decade after that. ESPN ranked the Raiders No. 25 overall in their NFL Future Power Rankings, which appraised the chances of all 32 teams to most succeed from 2027-29.
“The No. 1 pick is in good hands with new coach Klint Kubiak and an elite pass catcher in tight end Brock Bowers,” ESPN’s Ben Solak said. “General manager Jon Spytek had a bit of a false start out of the gate given the 2025 Raiders' personnel issues under Pete Carroll, but the Raiders now have an opportunity to take that thrilling leap that comes only with talented rookie passers -- which they very well might have in Mendoza.”
The Raiders also have rookie running back Mike Washington Jr. and wide receiver Malik Benson, both of whom shined in the team’s 27-14 preseason loss to the Arizona Cardinals. Both have continued to show signs of being capable of performing up to expectations out of the gates in 2026 and carrying that over into the following three-year stretch as more experienced veterans. With Maxx Crosby under contract until 2029, as well as Ashton Jeanty having a club option for that year, the Raiders have several pieces that will be instrumental in them attaining the level of success that they are headed toward achieving within that three-year span. This article originally appeared on Raiders Wire: Raiders get dismal spot on ESPN’s NFL Future Power Rankings