Takeaways from John Spytek and Brian Stark's Day 2 post-draft press conference

Apr 24, 2026 at 09:47 PM

Digital Team Reporter

The Las Vegas Raiders ended Day 2 of the 2026 NFL Draft with three additions: Safety Treydan Stukes, defensive End Keyron Crawford and guard Trey Zuhn III.

The Silver and Black were able to acquire an additional pick on Day 2 after trading with the Houston Texans, which ultimately was used to select Zuhn.

General Manager John Spytek and assistant general manager Brian Stark spoke to media regarding the team's draft selections from Friday.

Spytek's intelligent aggressiveness kicking in with trade

With the Raiders' second-round pick, it seems Treydan Stukes was always going to be their guy.

Raiders brass traded back two spots to No. 38with the Texans, along with sending their No. 117 overall pick, as they felt Stukes would still be available. The Raiders also acquired another third-round pick (No. 91).

"We just felt it was a great move for us," Spytek said.

"We were pretty confident Stukes would still be there, but we had a group of players that we really liked at that spot too. So, for some reason, if he had gone, you only have to survive really two picks at that point to move up that many spots and still get your guy. Definitely worth it. Excited about it."

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Jack of all trades

Versatility seemed to be a common trend among the three players drafted Friday.

Stukes showcased at Arizona that he can play anywhere in the secondary, with snaps at both safety positions, nickelback and outside cornerback. When asked what's so impressive about Stukes in coverage, Stark pinpointed the DB's ability to play exceptional man defense as a safety.

"[W]ith his versatility, with him lining up at the nickel spot, you have a chance to see him exhibit those," Stark said, "and he's got really good ball skills. He's also a good tackler. He's a physical player, so he kind of shows, he checks every box kind of for the skills that you're looking for at that spot. And you got a chance to see him kind of display all of them because of the versatility in the way he played."

As for Zuhn, he has played left tackle and center at a high level, with the Raiders anticipating him to play guard. Spytek said the lineman stood out on tape during the first round of the CFB Playoffs against the Miami Hurricanes.

"We watched Trey play center, left tackle, center, left tackle," the GM said. "I mean, he moved all around that game against a pretty damn good front, too. So, versatility is awesome, but wherever they were put, they were OK with and they proved themselves to be pretty good football players."

Crawford brings untapped potential as an edge rusher. He didn't play organized football until his senior season of high school. He stacked experience as an outside linebacker and defensive end throughout his college career at Arkansas State and Auburn.

"When you talk to him, he's really intense, very motivated, he's driven," Stark said. "He's overcome a lot and he kind of found football late. And his experience at Arkansas State and his transition to Auburn gave him some confidence. He's really motivated. He knows he's not at his ceiling, he's far from it."

Leaders of men

Another common trend between these draftees is leadership. Stukes and Zuhn were both multi-time team captains for their respective programs.

Echoing his sentiment from drafting Fernando Mendoza with the No. 1 overall pick, Spytek said character traits are just as quintessential as the athletic traits on the field.

"[S]ince the day I got here, and really Starky too, we've just tried to load this roster up with guys that love it," Spytek said, "that have leadership traits, that are great teammates, that will do the right thing, that will do the extra thing, and I think we all really felt like the four guys that we have so far in the 2026 Draft, they fill those buckets up pretty well."

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Las Vegas Raiders assistant general manager Brian Stark, General Manager John Spytek, Head Coach Klint Kubiak and vice president of player personnel Brandon Hunt in the draft room on day 1 of the 2026 NFL Draft at Las Vegas Raiders Headquarters.