B
Las Vegas Raiders
The Raiders answered their biggest question with Mendoza. Grade: B.
by RaiderRich ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 9 picks
· 6 steals
· 2 reaches
The Raiders clearly saw something nobody else did in Max Bredeson, taking him 186 picks ahead of his grade. The board is not convinced. It nets out to a B, which feels about right.
Everything downstream of Fernando Mendoza depends on Fernando Mendoza, and the building knows it. Getting Orange where they did is the sort of value that quietly makes a class.
For all the activity, edge rusher went untouched, which is hard to explain.
All told, a draft that does its job without fuss, and there is real value in that.
Pick-by-Pick
In No. 1 they get the face of the franchise. A clean fit for the roster.
Value with a capital V on Chris Johnson in pick No. 47, a genuine coup. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
A slide stopped in Round 3, Pick 3, with A.J. Haulcy worth more than the price. Depth more than a fix, but depth they can use.
Taking Josiah Trotter in the 78th overall pick is close to grand larceny; a linebacker that good had no business lasting this long. Useful body for a position without much behind the starter.
A wide receiver of that caliber at the 96th pick is the definition of value, full stop. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
Domonique Orange at pick 117 is the steal of the weekend, a first-round talent at a bargain-bin price. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
They paid up for Isaiah World at slot 134 when waiting would have done the job. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
Kaytron Allen is a better player than the 159th overall pick suggests; smart patience, rewarded. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
Max Bredeson in the Round 5 slot is a bet on their own eyes over everyone else's grade. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.