Raiders improvement – ESPN Insiders see the Las Vegas Raiders rebounding in 2026 under new head coach Klint Kubiak—despite skepticism about immediate wins—while pointing to No. 1 pick Fernando Mendoza as a potential early starter.
When the NFL season turns to June 1, the conversation in Las Vegas doesn’t slow down—it just sharpens. On Monday, ESPN released a 2026-season package packed with predictions, rumors, rankings, fantasy sleepers, and player/team outlooks. In that slate of projections. the Las Vegas Raiders sit at the center of a promise of improvement. but the timelines come with tension.
ESPN’s first forecast framed the Raiders through the lens of wins: an Under 6.5 Win Total wager at -150. The reasoning was blunt. The Raiders may improve from last season’s 3-14 finish. but pushing toward seven wins is “aggressive” when the roster is rebuilding. the quarterback is a rookie. and the defense is described as bottom-tier—paired with “lingering trench concerns.” The schedule. ESPN Insiders argue. doesn’t offer much relief either. with a lack of easy victories and a thin margin for error.
That same Raiders team then lands in a more optimistic spotlight in ESPN’s separate sections. The projections move from wins totals to team trajectory, predicting Las Vegas to be one of the league’s most improved teams in 2026.
The expectation hinges on the arrival of head coach Klint Kubiak and what ESPN Insiders describe as major roster turnover this offseason. The offense is viewed as a “easy fit” for both quarterback Kirk Cousins and the No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza. Along with that, ESPN points to upgrades on both the offensive front and the perimeter. The defense. meanwhile. is included in the optimism too. with Las Vegas using free agency and the draft to address all three levels of the field.
Even with that shift, the prediction doesn’t go all the way to a title run. ESPN Insiders don’t see the Raiders competing for the AFC West title in 2026, but they do expect the team to correct last season’s record.
That sets up the most consequential question: when Fernando Mendoza actually starts. ESPN’s final prediction is that Mendoza “could start within the first few weeks.”
The Raiders selected Mendoza with the No. 1 pick under the mindset that the Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback would land in Las Vegas and learn at the elbow of veteran Kirk Cousins. who was signed in free agency. Coach Klint Kubiak is described as wanting to avoid a rookie starting “from day one.” But the projection makes clear that the team’s plan could accelerate if circumstances line up—Mendoza. ESPN Insiders say. may expedite the process.
The through-line across these three separate ESPN outlooks is a familiar NFL balancing act: the Raiders are being sold as a team ready to improve. even if immediate results are far from guaranteed. One section questions whether a rookie-led, defense-and-trenches reality can realistically climb to seven wins. Another section insists the roster and coaching fit could turn that year into a genuine reset. And the final forecast keeps the spotlight on Mendoza’s early timetable—because in 2026. the biggest swing may not be about next season’s ceiling. but about how quickly the plan starts to work on Sunday.
Las Vegas Raiders Klint Kubiak Fernando Mendoza Kirk Cousins 2026 NFL season ESPN Insiders win total AFC West