Stefon Diggs labeled a 'no-brainer' fit for the Las Vegas Raiders

· Yahoo Sports

When Stefon Diggs signed with the New England Patriots last offseason, expectations were relatively modest.

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He was 31 years old and coming off ACL surgery. Yet he quickly emerged as Drake Maye’s go-to target, leading the team with 1,013 receiving yards and four touchdowns on 85 catches while helping guide New England to the Super Bowl.

Despite that productive season, the Patriots released Diggs in March, just one year into the three-year, $63.5 million contract he signed with the organization.

New England has since moved on, adding Romeo Doubs and A.J. Brown to headline its receiving corps in 2026, while head coach Mike Vrabel has publicly stated that a reunion with Diggs is not “something we’re exploring.”

The question now is how much longer Diggs will remain a free agent after proving he can still be productive at this stage of his career.

On Thursday, June 18, ESPN analyst Aaron Schatz suggested that the Las Vegas Raiders should be the team to sign Diggs, arguing that Vegas desperately needs a proven No. 1 receiver to match with rookie quarterback Fernando Mendoza.

“Diggs was the dependable No. 1 target who helped the Bills’ Josh Allen significantly improve. Then he was the dependable No. 1 target who helped the Patriots’ Drake Maye significantly improve. So why wait for Fernando Mendoza’s second season to get him a dependable No. 1 target who can help him significantly improve? The Las Vegas receiver depth chart is severely lacking, and Diggs was still good enough to finish second among wideouts last season in ESPN Analytics’ receiver score. This one seems like a no-brainer,” Schatz wrote.

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Stefon Diggs #8 of the New England Patriots looks on during the game against the Las Vegas Raiders at Gillette Stadium on Sept. 07, 2025 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)

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The Raiders have spent the entire offseason building around Mendoza, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft and reigning Heisman Trophy winner.

Las Vegas made several notable moves in free agency, bolstering its defense with the additions of Nakobe Dean, Kwity Paye, and Quay Walker while also landing arguably the NFL’s best center in Tyler Linderbaum. The team also traded for cornerback Taron Johnson, signed wide receiver Jalen Nailor, and brought in veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins to help mentor Mendoza.

In the draft, the Raiders continued adding talent, selecting All-American safety Treydan Stukes, All-SEC edge rusher Keyron Crawford, All-SEC guard Trey Zuhn, former All-American cornerback Jermod McCoy, and All-SEC running back Mike Washington Jr.

They also return last year’s star running back, Ashton Jeanty, and Pro Bowl tight end, Brock Bowers.

The franchise has done nearly everything possible to ensure Mendoza is surrounded by the pieces needed to succeed right away. The one thing still missing, however, is a clear-cut No. 1 wide receiver.

Past Bowers, who led the Raiders in targets in 2024 and ranked second on the team last season, the receiving corps lacks a proven high-volume option. The team’s leading wide receiver in 2025 was 5-foot-8 speedster Tre Tucker, who recorded 696 yards and five touchdowns on 57 catches and 92 targets, while Nailor spent the first four years of his career as a WR3 in Minnesota.

That’s where Diggs becomes intriguing. He’s already played a significant role in the development of other young quarterbacks like Allen and Maye, and he would instantly give Mendoza a reliable target capable of creating separation, moving the chains, and taking pressure off the rest of the offense.

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