The Las Vegas Raiders are rebuilding from scratch with their head coach, Klint Kubiak, who arrived fresh off a Super Bowl-winning run as the Seahawks’ offensive coordinator. First overall pick of this year’s draft, Fernando Mendoza, gives the franchise its first true quarterback of the future in years, and Ashton Jeanty and Brock Bowers form one of the more exciting young skill-position duos in the AFC.
What the Raiders don’t have is a dependable wide receiver. Jalen Nailor, Tre Tucker, and Jack Bech top their depth chart, and none has established himself as a legitimate No. 1 option. ESPN analyst Aaron Schatz identified that gap in a recent column and urged Las Vegas to sign free agent Stefon Diggs.
Stefon Diggs’ 2025 Comeback Proved He Can Still Lead an Offense
Schatz’s argument centered on a pattern that has followed Diggs throughout his career, as he has had success everywhere and has always improved the quarterback he played with.
“Diggs was the dependable No. 1 target who helped the Bills’ Josh Allen significantly improve,” Schatz said. “Then he was the dependable No. 1 target who helped the Patriots’ Drake Maye significantly improve. So why wait for Fernando Mendoza’s second season to get him a dependable No. 1 target who can help him significantly improve?”
“The Las Vegas receiver depth chart is severely lacking, and Diggs was still good enough to finish second among wideouts last season in ESPN Analytics’ receiver score. This one seems like a no-brainer,” Schatz added.
The numbers from Diggs’ 2025 campaign with the New England Patriots support the case. Coming off a torn ACL suffered in Week 8 of the 2024 season in Houston, the four-time Pro Bowler played all 17 regular-season games for New England, recording 85 catches for 1,013 yards and four touchdowns.
BE THE GM OF YOUR FAVORITE TEAM: PFN’s FREE NFL Mock Draft Simulator
According to PFSN’s WR Impact Metric, he posted an impact score of 87.0, which ranked fourth in the league. Diggs also became the first Patriots receiver to reach 1,000 yards since Julian Edelman in 2019, and he added 14 catches for 110 yards and a touchdown across four playoff games as the Patriots won the AFC.
The Patriots released Diggs in March to create cap space, and off-field legal issues, for which he was found not guilty. The Washington Commanders, Kansas City Chiefs, and Los Angeles Rams have all been linked to him, and Diggs recently told Fox 5 DC that he and Washington are “working through some things.”
PREDICT THE NFL SEASON: PFN’s FREE NFL Playoff Predictor
There is no question Diggs would upgrade the Raiders’ passing game and accelerate Mendoza’s development even if Kirk Cousins starts for much of 2026. However, convincing a 32-year-old receiver with championship aspirations to join a team coming off a 3-14 season is a different challenge.
Contenders like the Commanders and Chiefs offer a realistic path to the postseason, which Las Vegas doesn’t, as of now. So it will be tough for the Raiders to convince Diggs to sign with them.
