What John Spytek Quietly Revealed About Raiders During Draft
The moves the Las Vegas Raiders have made this offseason have quickly improved one of the league's bottom-tier rosters. The Raiders used a flurry of moves in free agency to address several roster needs, allowing them to focus on being productive there as well.
Rebuilding the Roster
One of Las Vegas' main goals this offseason was to revamp its coaching staff and roster as much as possible in one offseason. The Raiders will need multiple offseasons to complete their mission of rebuilding their roster, but this offseason has been a step in the right direction across the board.
The Raiders appear determined to turn things around, no matter how long it may take. Las Vegas' front office knows this; fixing the roster at every level will be necessary. As they enter the thick of Raiders general manager John Spytek's second offseason, the progress is undeniable.
Focus of the Rebuild
With so many new parts to their coaching staff and roster, plenty of questions remain unanswered. Still, the moves they made, specifically in the draft, have confirmed that thoroughly revamping their offensive and defensive lines is top of mind for the Raiders' front office.
After adding a much-needed quarterback in the first round and safety in the second, the Raiders used their third and fourth round picks on offensive and defensive linemen. Both Keyron Crawford and Trey Zuhn III have the chance to grow into contributors for the Raiders over time.
The Raiders drafted Zuhn in the third round to help add depth to their offensive line. He was one of the best offensive linemen in the Southeastern Conference during his college career. This is the third consecutive draft Las Vegas has selected an offensive lineman in the third round.
Each time they have done so in the past two offseasons, that offensive lineman has gone on to become a starter or will push for a starting position this offseason. Adding Zuhn is confirmation that the Raiders are thinking long term when it comes to revamping their offensive and defensive lines.
Spytek recently shared what he liked about Zuhn. Spytek noted that Zuhn's extensive experience in arguably the best conference in college football played a significant factor in the decision.
"Started 54 games in the SEC. All he did was block the guy in front of him; it didn't matter who it was, where it was, and obviously, they played a lot of really good football this year, too. I like that they say that. That's a good staff down there. It's a really good program. And that makes me happy that they would think that way," Spytek said after the second day of the draft.
The Raiders also added edge rusher Keyron Crawford in the second round, using the higher of their two third-round picks on him. Crawford has the potential to develop into a contributor for Las Vegas over the next few seasons, as they look to feature a deep rotation of defenders.
Crawford and Zuhn's respective additions to the offensive and defensive lines, even though they will largely play behind established veterans this season, quietly revealed the Raiders' plans on rebuilding in the trenches, where games are won and lost. It is another part of their well-rounded approach.
Spytek believes Crawford is another solid addition to a defensive line that is already arguably the team's strongest unit.
"Well, he's not that small. Six-four, long, maybe a little leaner than some traditional DEs, but we're just going to get him here and know that he's going to work hard, and he's got a couple cool skill sets, which is he can rush the passer, and he plays his tail off. And I like being around guys like that," Spytek said.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/raiders/onsi as What John Spytek Quietly Revealed About Raiders During Draft.
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This story was originally published April 30, 2026 at 8:30 AM.