B-
Las Vegas Raiders
The Raiders finally solved quarterback, and it carried them to a B-.
by otterpop777 ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 10 picks
· 4 steals
· 1 reaches
After circling the position for what felt like forever, the Raiders committed. Fernando Mendoza is the quarterback now, and the roster gets built to his timeline.
They are betting Gill-Howard proves the room right and everyone else wrong. If this class has a fault line, it runs straight through edge rusher. Ponds at that cost is the sort of edge that compounds over a roster.
They went 6 of 8 on their needs, which is most of what a draft is for.
Solid rather than spectacular, and there is nothing wrong with that.
Pick-by-Pick
In pick No. 1 they get the arm they will build around at fair value. A real need, handled.
A straight-up fair deal on Omar Cooper Jr. at Round 2, Pick 4, value and slot in agreement. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
They barely believed it either: D'Angelo Ponds still on the board at the 67th overall pick. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
They read the board right and Devin Moore was the payoff at slot 106. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
Bud Clark at the Round 4 slot is the sort of value that quietly wins a weekend. A minor need, but a need all the same.
Skyler Gill-Howard in the 134th pick is a reach so steep the board needed a second look to believe it. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
They paid sticker price for Kaleb Elarms-Orr in No. 175, and that is fine. It thickens a room that could stand to be thicker.
They took Josh Cameron at par in pick 185, which is nothing to complain about. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
No edge and no loss on Le'Veon Moss in pick No. 208; it is a wash and a sensible one. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
Dallen Bentley at No. 219 is money in the bank, a tight end taken below his worth. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.