The Las Vegas Raiders are embracing a new beginning once again. Last year, with Tom Brady moving into an ownership role for the franchise, they made a slew of moves to potentially make a playoff push.
Unfortunately, it didn’t work out in their favor, and they had to go back to the drawing board. Now they are walking away with the first overall pick, presumably Fernando Mendoza, and a new head coach in Klint Kubiak. But the rest of the roster still needs more work.
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Reuniting the Geno Smith and Pete Carroll pairing seemed like a good idea on paper. But it landed the Raiders the worst record in the NFL and a chance to draft the reigning Heisman Trophy winner.
All signs point to the team going exactly in that direction, especially with an offensive genius taking over the head coaching reins. However, the roster around Mendoza is lacking in many ways.
The defense, which was a major question mark for them last year, hasn’t gotten many upgrades this offseason. Moreover, the failed Maxx Crosby trade made their intentions regarding the superstar edge rusher clear.
But for a new quarterback entering the NFL, the bigger question mark is on the offensive side of the ball. They have running back Ashton Jeanty, who has incredible promise, alongside Brock Bowers manning the tight end role.
However, the wide receiver room is in shambles. After trading away Jakobi Meyers to the Jacksonville Jaguars, they have no reliable players down the field. As a result, PFSN deputy editor Alex Kennedy believes they need some veteran help in that role.
The name he has in mind for that spot is Deebo Samuel Sr., who he argues would fit in perfectly with the Raiders. “After seven years with the 49ers, Deebo Samuel Sr. was traded to the Commanders in 2025.”
With Jayden Daniels filtering in and out of the lineup due to injuries, Samuel wasn’t putting up crazy numbers for the Commanders. Instead, he finished with 727 receiving yards and 5 touchdowns, ranking at No. 34 on PFSN’s WR Impact.
But the Raiders would be taking a bet on the incredible career he’s already had. A second-round pick in 2019, he’s already earned a Pro Bowl and an All-Pro selection in his career while racking up over 6,700 scrimmage yards and 48 total touchdowns, finishing thrice inside the top 20 of WRi.
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“A creative offense may still be able to weaponize him as a versatile Swiss Army knife with his backfield capabilities, making him a potential low-risk, high-reward type of receiver. (With that said, he rushed for just 75 yards and 1 touchdown last year.)”
He might not be the same dynamic receiver that led to Deebo Samuel coining the term wide back, but he can be extremely effective in a system like the one Kubiak has run so far in his tenure. Moreover, he could be the perfect veteran piece to bring out the best in their rookie quarterback and set him up for the future.
