The Las Vegas Raiders finally stopped their four-game losing streak by beating the New York Jets 38-33. Some members of the Raiders' 2026 rookie class have begun getting bigger roles on the team, and could contribute significantly in the second half of the year.
Running Back Mike Washington Jr. had a career-best day, and Offensive Lineman Trey Zuhn III started for the first time. On Defense, Treydan Stukes established himself as a starting player, and cornerbacks Jermod McCoy and Hezekiah Masses each saw significant playing time.
A team working on developing its younger players may find these changes nearly as important as reaching .500 again.
RB Mike Washington Jr.
The fourth-round draft pick (Washington) has been one of the biggest surprises from the Raiders' draft.
Although he started the year behind Ashton Jeanty, Washington has continually earned more playing time because of his aggressive running style and knack for producing yards.
In their game against the Jets, Washington had 25 rushes for 83 yards, a personal best. This translated into an average of 3.3 yards per rush. He also participated in 60 percent of the team's offensive plays, the most he has been involved with the team all year. In contrast, Jeanty had only two carries.
Washington had gained 120 rushing yards and scored one touchdown through the first four games. He achieved this by carrying the ball 24 times for an average of five yards per attempt. His Week 8 performance showed the Raiders are starting to trust him with a larger role.
So far ar this season, the rookie running back has 278 rushing yards and one touchdown.
S Treydan Stukes
Former Arizona defensive back and second-round pick Treydan Stukes is already a major part of the Raiders' defensive lineup. Stukes has earned considerable on-field experience and continues to show his ability to play multiple positions, which helped make him one of the top draft prospects.
Stukes played on every one of the 64 defensive snaps in the game with the Jets and broke up a pass. In just the first four weeks of the season, Stukes played 147 defensive snaps with one interception. Along with the interception, he has 38 tackles and four passes defended.
G Trey Zuhn III
Zuhn entered Week 8 as a rookie with very little offensive experience; however, due to changes to the offensive line, he got his first career NFL start.
The third-round pick played in 63 offensive snaps at right guard against the New York Jets and helped protect Kirk Cousins as the team made a late-game rally to win. He had only been on the field for five offensive plays against the Los Angeles Rams the prior week.
The Raiders have a good deal of optimism regarding Zuhn. Kubiak indicated that the rookie would continue to start against San Francisco, giving him another chance to show what he is made of.
CB Hezekiah Masses
Masses previously showed he could make plays with the ball on the field by recording three interceptions in the first four weeks of the season.
Masses played 29 defensive snaps (45%) when the Raiders evaluated their cornerback rotation against the Jets.
His early interception production suggests he has the natural ability to be an effective player; however, consistency in coverage remains a key factor.
He has 18 tackles, three interceptions, and seven passes defended on the season.
CB Jermod McCoy
McCoy had his most defensive action of the year against the Jets coming in for Darien Porter who left with a groin injury.
McCoy played 53% of the Raiders' defensive snaps (34) and 16 special teams snaps. He has had defensive snap counts in only two other games before Week 8.
While McCoy has had a mix of good and bad performances, gaining valuable experience will be a big part of his growth. If Porter continues to miss games, McCoy may have to compete against Masses for a regular spot on the roster.
Other rookies
QB Fernando Mendoza -- The top pick has seen action in one game this season, coming in late in the team's blowout loss in New England. He went 6/8 for 48 yards in that appearance.
WR Malik Benson -- The sixth rounder was inactive vs the Jets. Had appeared in each of the first seven games, catching two passes on nine targets for 12 yards and returned seven punts for 94 yards (13.4 yards per return).
S Dalton Johnson -- The 5th rounder has been active for just one game this season and saw 12 snaps on special teams in Week 4 vs the Chiefs.
DE Cian Slone -- The undrafted rookie was elevated from the practice squad and active for the first time this season vs the Jets. He registered 26 snaps on special teams and had one tackle.
DT Tim Keenan III -- The Rams seventh rounder was signed to the practice squad in early September and has been active the past two weeks for the Raiders. He has three combined tackles (one solo) and added a sack vs the Jets.
This article originally appeared on Raiders Wire: Raiders rookie report: Tracking Las Vegas's 2026 class through Week 8
