The Las Vegas Raiders shouldn’t be thinking too hard about the 2026 NFL Draft yet, but there’s going to be some elite talent. Though the team already seems much improved from last year’s squad, the jump from a four-win team to a playoff team will likely prove too great in 2025.
The silver lining in missing the playoffs again would be a higher draft pick. If the Raiders pick high enough, they have a chance to add an instant impact player. One of the concerns for Las Vegas heading into 2025 is the secondary.
The Raiders are very young at cornerback and safety. It’s possible that some young players step up and earn starting jobs going forward, but there’s a player who could be too good to pass up in 2026.
Ohio State safety Caleb Downs was the Big Ten Defensive Back of the Year and could be one of the best safety prospects in come in the NFL in recent years. In Ryan Wilson’s 2026 mock draft for CBS Sports, he believes that the Raiders will take Downs with No. 6 pick.
“Downs has not been overhyped this summer — he’s just that good,” Wilson wrote. “I really liked Malaki Starks last draft cycle, and I have Downs graded higher. In terms of on-field athleticism, I think Downs is closer to Nick Emmanwori than Starks.”
Downs Could’ve Been First-Round Pick in 2025 Draft
Downs is only 20, but he’s already getting hyped as an NFL prospect. He’s spent a season at Alabama and a season at Ohio State, two of the best college programs in the country.
Longtime NFL draft prospect Todd McShay thinks that Downs would’ve been a first-round pick had be able to declare for the 2025 NFL Draft.
“This is completely random on a Monday night … but just watching Ohio State D tape … Caleb Downs is the best safety in the country. He’s just different. One of the best football players in the country. He would be a top-15 pick in 2025 draft if he were eligible. Maybe top-10,” McShay wrote on X in November.
Another strong season would make him a potential lock as a top-10 pick. Safeties don’t often get picked in the top 10 unless they’re considered too good to pass up. That could be Downs.
Will Raiders Have Top-10 Pick in 2026?
The Raiders picked at No. 6 in this year’s draft, and CBS Sports seems to think they won’t improve in 2026. That seems unlikely. The Raiders upgraded at head coach with the Pete Carroll hiring and at quarterback with the Geno Smith trade.
Those two moves alone should lead to more wins. That’s not to mention the Ashton Jeanty draft pick. Now, the Raiders could finish the 2025 season with more than four wins and still have the No. 6 pick, but it seems more likely the team gets closer to eight wins.
Considering safeties aren’t often drafted in the first round, it’s possible that Downs could fall out of the top 10, even if he has another big season. The Raiders will just have to wait and see. Offensive coordinator Chip Kelly should have some good intel on Downs since he was at Ohio State last season.
