Through the season's first eight games, the Las Vegas Raiders have a much better idea of what they are as a team and what they can be this season and beyond. The trade deadline is approaching, and anything is possible.
Below are some ideas for the Raiders ahead of next week's deadline for teams to complete trades.
Feb 10, 2026; Henderson, NV, USA; Las Vegas Raiders general manager John Spytek at press conference at Intermountain Health Performance Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The interesting thing about the Raiders' roster and how much they revamped it this offseason is that it eliminated so many of their needs that it is easy to identify the ones that remain. Their productive offseason made it easy to pinpoint.
However, so have the past five weeks. Entering this season, Las Vegas' defensive backfield was clearly its biggest weakness. It has been one of the team's biggest weaknesses for at least the past three seasons. The turnover left Las Vegas with several young but unproven defensive backs.
The young group has flashed its potential at different times throughout this season, especially early on. Yet the past month has solidified what was already well known: Las Vegas needs more help in its defensive backfield. Kubiak shared his thoughts on his young corners on Monday.
"I think obviously Zeke [Hezekiah Masses] made some plays for us, had a big tip pass. Jermod [McCoy] in his first action. He's going to continue to get better, he's got plenty of things to improve on, as does Zeke, as does DP [Darien Porter], as does everybody. But we feel like we're going to continue to rotate those guys through," Kubiak said.
Nov 1, 2026; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Jets tight end Mason Taylor (85) attempts to make a catch against Las Vegas Raiders cornerback Hezekiah Masses (35) in the second half at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Sunday confirmed that if the Raiders do make a trade, which I do not think they will, cornerback has to be at the top of that list. Every defensive back the Raiders put on the field struggled against the New York Jets, not just their young ones.
Veteran cornerback Eric Stokes' notable struggles left no doubt about how dire the Raiders' corner issues are.
"I think the Jets had a really good plan overall, and I think again, when you play defensive back in the NFL, yeah, you're going to get beat," Kubiak said.
"At some point you're going to get beat, but how do you respond when that happens? And when a defensive back gets beat, everybody knows about it. If a guard loses in the run game, it's not discussed as much. So, you've got to have thick skin. You've got to be able to move on to the next down."
Oct 18, 2026; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby (98) lines up before the snap in the fourth quarter against the Buffalo Bills at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Trim-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Part of any trade is having players other teams would want to trade for. After revamping their roster at most positions this offseason, there are several players who fall into that category, but contracts narrow down which players Las Vegas could realistically trade.
Anything is possible, but looking at the Raiders' roster, there are likely only a couple of players they would trade away before the deadline. There are no surprises about who those players are, as they have already been the subject of trade speculation.
Heading into the trade deadline, star defensive end Maxx Crosby and offensive guard Jackson Powers-Johnson are the team's two most valuable trade assets. There has not been much on the Crosby front, but as this offseason has shown, that could change quickly.
The Raiders started the season with Powers-Johnson at guard, then switched to Caleb Rogers. Sunday against the Jets , Las Vegas replaced Rogers with Trey Zuhn after Rogers' brief stint as the starter. It is unclear how comfortable the Raiders are with Zuhn at guard after Sunday.
Jun 9, 2026; Henderson, NV, USA; Las Vegas Raiders guard Jackson Powers-Johnson (58) during minicamp at Intermountain Health Performance Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Las Vegas' coaching staff may have liked enough of what they saw from Zuhn to give him another shot this upcoming Sunday. If they do, and he plays well enough that the staff believes he can get them through the rest of the season, it could make Powers-Johnson even more expendable.
Powers-Johnson's talent is not in question. His talent outweighed his shortcomings enough for two different coaching staffs to start him, despite how they may have felt about him. Both times, he fell on bad terms with the staff. Falling out of the good graces of two coaching staffs speaks volumes.
If the Raiders can get a mid-round pick for the offensive lineman, it would be a steal.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/raiders/onsi as The Raiders' Most Likely Trade Deadline Moves: Potential Decisions .
