Las Vegas is walking into the 2026 offseason with the kind of power that makes other front offices uneasy.
The Raiders hold the No. 1 overall pick, and Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza has been treated as the heavy favorite to go first, including betting markets that have made the selection feel close to inevitable unless Las Vegas trades the pick. They also have money to play with. Over the Cap lists Las Vegas with roughly $91.5 million in 2026 cap space.
That combination, a potential franchise quarterback at No. 1 and rare financial flexibility, shapes the kind of trade conversations the Raiders can realistically drive.
Three names keep surfacing as the type of swing that would jolt the league’s offseason market.
Is A.J Brown the right name for Las Vegas?
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A.J. Brown is the headline move because he could immediately change the offense. Bleacher Report identified Brown as a top Raiders trade target, and the broader league chatter around Brown has picked up steam through February. Insider Jeremy Fowler has been cited in recent reporting as believing trade talks around Brown could heat up around the scouting combine, with league executives expecting conversations to pick up there.
If Brown is genuinely available, Las Vegas becomes one of the most logical bidders for a simple reason: a rookie quarterback becomes far easier to develop when he has a true WR1 who wins against man coverage. The Raiders have the cap room to absorb a star contract and still build out the supporting cast, which is why a player like Brown becomes more realistic for them than for teams already squeezed under the cap.
Brown’s availability would also shift the entire wide receiver market.
Trent McDuffie with a possible move to Las Vegas
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Trent McDuffie is the other type of blockbuster because it’s rare, premium, and tied to division-level consequences. They listed McDuffie as a Raiders trade target, and the Chiefs’ cap situation has been discussed publicly as a pressure point that could force hard decisions.
Arrowhead Pride laid out a specific financial argument for why a McDuffie trade could appeal to Kansas City, noting the cap savings in that scenario. ESPN’s offseason guide also noted that McDuffie is extension-eligible ahead of his fifth-year option season, which matters because timing and contract planning often drive these decisions.
For Las Vegas, a corner with McDuffie’s profile is a tone-setter. The AFC is loaded with quarterbacks, and the Raiders play in a division where the margin for error in the secondary is thin. A player who can cover, tackle, and hold up against top receivers changes what a defensive coordinator can call on third down. It also changes how opponents build their weekly game plan.
The fact that this would involve Kansas City is what makes it combustible. In-division trades are uncommon for a reason, and if the Raiders ever landed a premium corner from them, it would become one of the defining personnel moves of the entire offseason.
Kayvon Thibodeaux could change things up for the Raiders
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Kayvon Thibodeaux sits in a different lane: a young edge rusher who fits the Raiders’ roster logic and has been tied to trade-rumor cycles. Some outlets included Thibodeaux as a Raiders target, and Giants-focused coverage has also mentioned Las Vegas as a potential interested team in the Thibodeaux trade chatter.
Vegas site coverage has framed the idea as a “buy low” opportunity, given the Raiders’ need for pass-rush help beyond Maxx Crosby.
Thibodeaux is the kind of bet a team makes when it wants to get younger and more explosive on defense without waiting for a rookie to develop. A pass rush built around Crosby, plus another legitimate edge threat, changes the shape of the defense.
The “outgoing” name that sits behind almost every Vegas conversation is still Maxx Crosby, and it needs to be mentioned because it impacts everything else the Raiders might do.
NFL.com has covered the trade buzz around Crosby, and he himself has publicly addressed rumors without feeding them. Silver and Black Pride reported that new head coach Klint Kubiak has been explicit about wanting to coach Crosby and keep him in the building.
This is gold because Crosby’s status shapes the Raiders’ incentives. If he stays, adding a young edge like Thibodeaux becomes a luxury.
The other major lever is the No. 1 pick itself. Mendoza has been treated as the favorite to go first. Las Vegas has the option to draft him and build fast, or to entertain the kind of trade-down package that can reshape the roster in one weekend. Either path changes how aggressively the Raiders need to pursue trades for veterans, and how willing they are to pay premium prices for immediate help.
That’s why these trade ideas have real offseason gravity. The Raiders are one of the few teams positioned to set the market rather than react to it. They have cap room, a top pick, and a roster that can justify being aggressive at the premium spots that decide games.
If they land one of these names, the league’s offseason board shifts. But what if they land all three of them? They definitely have the wallet for that.
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