B-
Las Vegas Raiders
A franchise passer in Mendoza headlines a B- weekend for the Raiders.
by Grumzy ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 10 picks
· 3 steals
· 5 reaches
The Roman Hemby pick is the one that will follow the Raiders into the fall. They took him 135 spots ahead of his grade, and the board is not shy about saying so.
Everything downstream of Fernando Mendoza depends on Fernando Mendoza, and the building knows it. That is a cornerback worth more than the slot they spent on him, plainly.
The edge rusher spot stays a question, and it was the one they most needed an answer at. On the needs board they went 5 of 8, with cornerback the one that mattered most.
All told, a solid class that does its job everywhere but edge rusher.
Pick-by-Pick
In pick 1 they get their guy under center for the next decade. A real need, handled.
Lee Hunter at slot 36 is a conviction pick that outran the value. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
Good things come to war rooms that wait, and Christen Miller at the 67th pick is the proof. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
A top-tier cornerback at a bargain, Daylen Everette in the 102nd overall pick, plain and simple. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
They read the board right and Genesis Smith was the payoff at the Round 4 slot. Useful body for a position without much behind the starter.
A premium they did not need to pay, Charles Demmings a notch or two before his time. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
A reach for Taylen Green in slot 175; a little patience would have been rewarded. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
No edge and no loss on VJ Payne in the Round 6 slot; it is a wash and a sensible one. They doubled down on a strength rather than a need.
The board screamed and they did not listen, reaching into the next round for Riley Nowakowski. It fills a real need, too.
Roman Hemby at No. 219 is an overdraft of the loud, memorable kind. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.