The Las Vegas Raiders are just about to turn the page from offseason to the 17-game 2026 NFL campaign.
It has been a long several months to get to this point and the outlook has changed for several players on the roster.
Here are three players who have improved their stock over the course of OTAs and training camp and three who have seen their expectations take a hit:
Stock up
Mike Washington Jr., RB — No player has come from off the radar to create more buzz than the fourth-round pick out of Arkansas.
The rookie has gone from some uncertainty about whether he’d be ready right away to handle a true backup role to Ashton Jeanty to potentially cutting into the former top-10 pick’s touches.
General manager John Spytek said coach Klint Kubiak stood on the table in the draft room to make the case to draft Washington, and he has made Kubiak look smart early on.
Washington was already rising up fantasy draft boards even before Jeanty suffered an injury that has created some questions about his early-season availability.
Malik Benson, WR — Kubiak has been looking for someone to emerge from the wide receiver room to be a reliable playmaker.
Benson wasn’t the most likely candidate, but he has just consistently shown up and made plays every day in practice. Those performances haven’t fully translated on game day as Benson had a couple drops and finished the preseason with three catches for 44 yards, but the sixth-round round pick out of Oregon has done more than enough to provide optimism that he can take on a major role as a rookie and beyond.
The most encouraging part about his practice performances has been his ability to make plays at all levels after being largely utilized as a deep threat in college.
Tonka Hemingway, DT — It’s no accident the defensive lineman appears to have taken a huge step forward entering his second season.
Hemingway won the strength staff’s offseason award, given each year to the player who dedicates themself to not only showing up every day, but working hard and pushing their teammates in the weight room.
That has shown up on the field.
Hemingway looks faster and stronger on the interior and looks primed to take on a big role for new defensive coordinator Rob Leonard, his former position coach.
Stock down
Dont’e Thornton Jr., WR — There was hope Thornton would be able to start channeling his immense physical abilities into more production after a disappointing rookie season.
That he may be able to experience the same kind of second-year leap as Hemingway.
He hasn’t really had the chance.
Thornton was injured early in camp and has not been able to get back on the field.
Now he will start the year on injured reserve and miss at least the first four weeks of the season. Thornton will have a lot of ground to make up when he returns.
Malcolm Koonce, DE — Koonce is entering his second year back from a major injury and was hoping to regain the explosive playmaking ability he displayed before knee surgery.
Those flashes have been few and far between.
Koonce signed a one-year deal with the Raiders with the hope he could prove he could be a dynamic pass rusher again and then hit the market next offseason and cash in with a massive deal.
He still has a lot to show.
Isaiah Pola-Mao, S — After taking over as a starting safety in Week 4 of the 2024 season, Pola-Mao has been in that role for 31 straight games.
That streak appears to be in jeopardy.
The Raiders invested heavily in their defensive backfield in the draft, a sure sign the current regime felt the secondary was in need of upgrades.
Pola-Mao was immediately thrust into a competition and his playing time is almost certain to decrease after some of the younger players looked close to ready for large roles right away.
Rookie Treydan Stukes was listed as the starting free safety on the team’s first depth chart, which was released Tuesday.
Contact Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AdamHillLVRJ on X.
