B-
Las Vegas Raiders
Mendoza is the plan now, and the Raiders grade out a B-.
by Grumzy ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 10 picks
· 3 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.
Getting Hunter where they did is the sort of value that quietly makes a class. They punted on edge rusher, and it is the miss that keeps the grade honest. Every board in the league had Taylor lower, and that gap is the story.
All told, a draft that does its job without fuss, and there is real value in that.
Pick-by-Pick
In Round 1, Pick 1 they get the face of the franchise. A clean fit for the roster.
Denzel Boston at pick 36 is a sensible buy, a touch better than market for the wide receiver. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
Somehow Lee Hunter was still sitting there in the Round 3 slot, and they pounced on premier interior defensive lineman value. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
No edge and no loss on Jalon Kilgore in the 102nd overall pick; it is a wash and a sensible one. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
Bud Clark at the 117th pick is the sort of value that quietly wins a weekend. Useful depth more than a marquee fix.
They read the board right and Will Lee III was the payoff at No. 134. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
They talked themselves into J'Mari Taylor at pick No. 175, and the board did not agree. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
They paid up for VJ Payne at slot 185 when waiting would have done the job. A luxury on a unit that was already in good shape.
Kaelon Black in Round 6, Pick 27 is a bet on their own eyes over everyone else's grade. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
They paid sticker price for Riley Nowakowski in the Round 7 slot, and that is fine. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.