B-
Las Vegas Raiders
The Raiders finally solved quarterback, and it carried them to a B-.
by Grumzy ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 10 picks
· 5 steals
· 3 reaches
The one hole that towered over the rest is filled. The Raiders spent their marquee pick on Fernando Mendoza, and for the first time in a while there is a real answer at quarterback. They moved the roster forward and banked a B- for it.
The cost of the Black reach is exactly the players who went right after him. On value alone, Stukes makes the weekend a net positive. That edge rusher hole did not close this weekend, and it was the biggest one on the wall.
All told, a solid class that does its job everywhere but edge rusher.
Pick-by-Pick
In Round 1, Pick 1 they get a long-term answer under center at fair value. A real need, handled.
Good things come to war rooms that wait, and KC Concepcion at slot 36 is the proof. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
Circle this one: Lee Hunter at pick No. 67 is a fall that decides a draft. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
You do not let a cornerback like Treydan Stukes reach No. 102 and blink. They did not. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
Zakee Wheatley in pick 117 is a gift, value that borders on unfair. A minor need, but a need all the same.
They let Julian Neal come to them and pounced at the 134th pick. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
They reached a country mile for Kaelon Black at the 175th overall pick, and the board is aghast. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
Riley Nowakowski at the Round 6 slot is a steep price for a hunch, hard to square with any board. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
Nick Barrett in pick 208 is fine work, a shade of surplus and no downside. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
Robert Spears-Jennings at slot 219 is the pick scouts circle, and not in a good way. Insurance at a position that did not really ask for it.