B
Las Vegas Raiders
Quarterback settled, Mendoza in the fold, and a B for the Raiders.
by Austin79 ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 16 picks
· 8 steals
· 2 reaches
Start where it matters. The Raiders took Fernando Mendoza to run the offense for the next decade, and every other decision this weekend bends around that one.
They will need Gumbs Jr. to outplay his draft slot in a hurry to justify it. The Taaffe pick is the one they will point to when this weekend is judged. A modest surplus at the table, banked quietly.
A workmanlike haul that should hold up just fine.
Pick-by-Pick
They took Fernando Mendoza at par in Round 1, Pick 1, which is nothing to complain about. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
Blake Miller at slot 47 is a clear overpay, with better names still on the board. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
Lee Hunter at pick No. 67 is daylight robbery; nobody expected him to last. It fills a real need, too.
Michael Taaffe in pick 102 is a gift, value that borders on unfair. It thickens a room that could stand to be thicker.
Deion Burks in No. 113 lands just on the right side of the ledger. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
Steal is underselling it; Malik Muhammad at the 120th overall pick is a heist with the alarm still ringing. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
They did well to land Harold Perkins Jr. in the Round 4 slot, just ahead of his grade. A minor need, but a need all the same.
They let Tim Keenan III come to them and pounced at the 156th pick. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
Febechi Nwaiwu at the 174th pick is a sensible buy, a touch better than market for the offensive lineman. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
A tidy bit of business in No. 182, where Aamil Wagner graded well above the range. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
Domani Jackson at pick 185 is money in the bank, a cornerback taken below his worth. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
They stopped a slide they were happy to see, landing Taylen Green in Round 6, Pick 20. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
Kaelon Black in slot 208 is fair value, right on his grade. A need, and now a little less of one.
No drama and no debate, Noah Whittington went about where he belonged in the Round 6 slot. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
They talked themselves into George Gumbs Jr. at pick No. 219, and the board did not agree. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
Nice patience on Jaren Kanak, who had no business lasting to the 236th overall pick. The roster fit checks out.