The Las Vegas Raiders have been widely expected to add a nose tackle to the roster this offseason, and will likely turn to the 2026 NFL draft to fill the need after not signing someone during free agency. The good news is that the Raiders should have plenty of options as this year’s draft class features several players who can plug up gaps in the middle of the defensive line.
But with a handful of choices, what should Las Vegas’ strategy be to land a quality nose tackle? Let’s dive into what Plans A, B and C should be during the last weekend in April.
Plan A: Kayden McDonald or Lee Hunter at 36
McDonald and Hunter are the top two nose tackles in this year’s draft class, in my opinion, and either one would be a great option at the top of the second round. However, there’s a chance these two aren’t available at No. 36.
McDonald enters the draft as a fringe first-rounder, ranking 30th overall on NFL Mock Draft Database’s consensus big board (as of April 7). He’s been a popular pairing for the Chicago Bears (No. 25), Houston Texans (No. 28) and New England Patriots (No. 31), as those two teams are also in the defensive tackle market.
Meanwhile, the first-round buzz surrounding Hunter seems to have cooled off since the NFL Combine, but he also could be in play for those three clubs. That being said, NMDD has the Texas Tech product ranked 47th overall, increasing the likelihood that he’ll be on the board for Las Vegas.
Plan B: Trade back for Christen Miller
Admittedly, there’s more risk involved in this strategy since Miller appears to be gaining steam recently. In fact, he’s surpassed Hunter on NMDD’s big board, listed as the 46th player overall. But to me, there’s a slight drop-off from the Texas Tech product to the Georgia product. I trust the former to stay in his gap more consistently against double teams and think the latter’s draft range should be closer to the 50s.
Especially if all three nose tackles mentioned are available at 36, a situation where John Spytek can add more draft capital and still land Miller might be a best-case scenario. Even if another team swipes the former Bulldog before Las Vegas is back on the clock, at least Spytek will have more options when it comes to attacking ‘Plan C’.
Plan C: Domonique Orange or Darrell Jackson at 67
Waiting until the third round to address a significant need is a gamble, but with how deep the nose tackle class is, the Raiders could find an immediate starter in this range. Also, the stars could align with Orange since he ranks 66th on NMDD’s board heading into the draft.
Meanwhile, Jackson would be a reach based on his ranking (86th overall). However, he has physical traits that are worth betting on and brings some position/alignment versatility if Rob Leonard wants to run a variety of fronts. Admittedly, the Florida State product is one of “my guys” in the draft, so this would be a pick I wouldn’t mind, but many others would disagree.
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