B-
Las Vegas Raiders
Quarterback settled, Mendoza in the fold, and a B- for the Raiders.
by Grumzy ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 10 picks
· 3 steals
· 5 reaches
They finally answered the question that shadows every other one. Fernando Mendoza is the Raiders' quarterback, full stop. Call it a sensible B-, earned the boring way.
They will need Black to outplay his draft slot in a hurry to justify it. A whole weekend of picks and edge rusher is somehow still a want. The Moore value carries more weight than any single miss elsewhere.
All told, a solid class that does its job everywhere but edge rusher.
Pick-by-Pick
In the Round 1 slot they get the arm they will build around. A real need, handled.
Nothing to complain about; Chris Johnson went a shade earlier than his grade, which is fine. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
Taking Lee Hunter in slot 67 is close to grand larceny; an interior defensive lineman that good had no business lasting this long. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
Quietly one of the better values of the day, Ted Hurst at the 102nd overall pick. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
Somehow Devin Moore was still sitting there in the 117th pick, and they pounced on premier cornerback value. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
A reach on Chris McClellan in pick 134; the board had better options right there. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
A real head-scratcher, VJ Payne in No. 175 is miles ahead of his ranking. A minor need, but a need all the same.
A swing that ignored the value entirely, Kaelon Black well ahead of where he belonged. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
Riley Nowakowski in Round 6, Pick 27 is early enough to raise a brow, if not a full objection. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
They left a pile of value on the table to take Robert Spears-Jennings this early at the 219th overall pick. A want dressed up as a pick, at a spot they had covered.