The Las Vegas Raiders’ 2026 NFL Draft selections show one thing. You might have thought they would bring in at least one Wolverine. After all, the franchise is now run by co-owner Tom Brady and led by GM John Spytek, both Michigan alums. But this rebuild isn’t about school ties and old loyalties. Still, it’s the GM’s comment that made people raise an eyebrow.

John Spytek, a former Michigan LB, sat down with Kay Adams and got hit with a question. Michigan had six players drafted so why didn’t the Raiders take even one? His answer might now sit well with Michigan loyals. 

“We tried. The draft doesn’t quite go like you want it to go, and I gotta get rid of my biases,” he admitted. “I tell people all the time, I’ll take a bunch of Ohio State guys because they can play football, so that’s like one millionth of the factor that we put it in. You get a little bump if you’re a Michigan fan, but not too much. We’re not running you off the draft board.”

That’s a Michigan alum openly admitting he’d lean toward Ohio State talent if the board told him to. The intensity of the rivalry makes this an eyebrow-raising confession. But this isn’t about snubbing the Wolverines. It’s about rejecting the emotional pull of The Game. Even UM booster Taylor Lewan couldn’t help praising Buckeyes’ safety Caleb Downs ahead of the draft. This isn’t about the uniforms anymore but about the individual and John Spytek’s comments show that. 

Two decades ago, John Spytek was a $250-a-week intern with the Detroit Lions, bartending nights in Ann Arbor. He wasn’t a star at Michigan but he was obsessed with watching film.

“He would eat, sleep and drink football,” former Lions’ director of football operations Craig Vandermause said of him. 

That obsession took him through stops with the Philadelphia Eagles, Cleveland Browns, and Denver Broncos. Then at Tampa Bay, he started to build strong rosters before coming to Las Vegas. So when he says school bias is “one millionth of the factor,” he means it.

Meanwhile, Michigan extended its 88-year streak with at least one player drafted. This year, they sent six names to the league. Derrick Moore went 44th overall to Detroit, Marlin Klein followed at 59, Jaishawn Barham, Jimmy Rolder, Max Bredeson, and Rayshaun Benny rounded out the class. 

On the other side, Ohio State dominated with eleven Buckeyes drafted. Seven went in the first two rounds. Caleb Downs was a top-11 pick. Carnell Tate, Arvell Reese, and Sonny Styles all found homes early. For all the tension in John Spytek’s comments, the Raiders picked neither side. Their ten selections didn’t include either Michigan or Ohio State players. 

What John Spytek rounded up in the 2026 NFL Draft 

The Raiders’ picks were about fit and upside. First came Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza at No. 1. He’s their future QB handpicked to develop behind Kirk Cousins in Klint Kubiak’s system. Then there’s No. 38. Treydan Stukes, a 6’1 DB from Arizona. John Spytek doubled down later with teammate DB Dalton Johnson at No. 150. At No. 67, DE Keyron Crawford arrived from Auburn just as the Raiders moved on from Tyree Wilson. 

No. 91 was OL Trey Zuhn III, who came from Texas A&M with a ridiculous 96.8 PFF pass-blocking grade. Then, they followed with Tennessee’s Jermod McCoy at 101, Arkansas’ Mike Washington Jr. at 122, California Hezekiah Masses at 175, Oregon Malik Benson at 195, and North Carolina State Brandon Cleveland at 229. 

In addition to these 10 picks, John Spytek and co. also brought in 18 undrafted free agents. The Raiders didn’t just ignore Michigan but they ignored everything that makes draft rooms emotional.