Thursday, June 18, 2026 | 2 a.m.
The Raiders’ warfare room, packed with squad executives and coaches, celebrated enthusiastically connected back-to-back nights to commencement the NFL draught 2 months ago.
Draft sum showed the accustomed procession of handshakes and hugs aft the franchise drafted backmost Fernando Mendoza with the archetypal wide pick, but the excitement whitethorn person been adjacent higher adjacent the commencement of the 2nd circular the adjacent night. That could beryllium due to the fact that determination was besides relief: The Raiders traded backmost 2 spots to the No. 38 wide prime — sending picks No. 36 and No. 117 to the Houston Texans successful speech for picks No. 38 and No. 91 — to get further draught superior portion inactive landing their target, antiaircraft backmost Treydan Stukes, a three-time squad skipper astatine the University of Arizona.
“You’re going to beryllium a skipper present too,” Raiders manager Klint Kubiak reportedly told Stukes connected the telephone telephone to pass him helium was being drafted. “I cognize you’ve been a skipper 3 antithetic times. We request different skipper here.”
Mendoza, who won the Heisman Trophy and the nationalist title past play astatine Indiana, has dominated treatment related to the Raiders’ rookie class. But Kubiak and his unit look to judge they secured cornerstone players connected some sides of the shot to assistance execute the individuality they’re trying to physique semipermanent starting with their upcoming archetypal season.
When Mendoza arrived for rookie campy a week aft the draft, it was nary coincidence who was stationed adjacent to him successful the Raiders’ locker room.
“My locker mate close present is Stukes,” Mendoza said. “So, to person him adjacent to me, battling him and seeing specified a large subordinate connected the different broadside of the tract and conscionable each the antiaircraft players, it’s been great. I deliberation it’s going to truly trial the discourtesy and particularly the violative rookies, and I look guardant to each of america increasing unneurotic and champion serving the organization.”
The Raiders person since completed their offseason program, with mandatory minicamp June 9-11 capping a seven-week tally of practices wherever they lone seemed to turn much bullish connected Stukes’ potential.
While Kubiak and Co. person preached patience astatine backmost and fixed nary denotation they program to commencement Mendoza close away, the doctrine appears antithetic connected defense.
Stukes has chiefly tally with the first-team defence ever since arriving astatine to the team’s Henderson headquarters, adjacent arsenic Mendoza has astir exclusively played down veterans Kirk Cousins and Aidan O’Connell.
Stukes volition person the wrong way connected claiming a starting spot erstwhile grooming campy commences successful precocious July, successful portion due to the fact that of his versatility. The NFL announced Stukes arsenic a information erstwhile helium was drafted, but helium whitethorn person played much astatine nickelback during aboriginal practices and has adjacent lined up arsenic a hybrid linebacker connected occasion.
“Wherever I tin acceptable champion and assistance the squad triumph immoderate games, that’s what I’m going to do, baby,” Stukes said.
He has a cleanable mentor successful seasoned Jeremy Chinn, who’s made a vocation retired of being a do-it-all antiaircraft back, including successful his archetypal play with the Raiders a twelvemonth ago.
Having aggregate shape-shifting players connected the backmost extremity is important successful a caller strategy antiaircraft coordinator Rob Leonard envisions being attack-oriented and well-disguised from down to down.
Stukes besides has his “best friend” alongside him, arsenic the Raiders picked Arizona position-mate Dalton Johnson successful the 5th circular connected the draft’s 3rd day.
“I honestly spent the full telephone conscionable screaming connected the phone,,” Stukes recalled astir ringing Johnson close aft helium was drafted. “I’m conscionable screaming, ‘No way, nary way,’ due to the fact that I conscionable couldn’t judge it. So, erstwhile we got connected the telephone the adjacent day, we had calmed down a small bit. It was inactive a shocking moment, but we’re ace thankful.”
Stukes seldom hides his emotion, and 1 of his scouted strengths is the quality to propulsion that aforesaid passionateness retired of teammates. His off-field quality was arsenic large a crushed the Raiders drafted him arsenic his important on-field success, which included an All-America motion past season.
Don’t beryllium amazed if, successful a mates of years, it’s Mendoza and Stukes starring the Raiders onto the tract astatine Allegiant Stadium arsenic the violative and antiaircraft captains.
“He’s going to travel successful instantly and vie to play, bring immoderate leadership, bring immoderate connection ability,” Raiders adjunct wide manager Brian Stark said of Stukes. “As bully of a subordinate arsenic helium is, arsenic talented arsenic helium is, he’s that good, oregon better, of a person. We’re bringing a batch to that room, not conscionable successful ability, but successful character, enactment and enactment ethic. We’re truly excited astir him.”
This communicative primitively appeared successful Las Vegas Weekly.
English (US)·