B-
Las Vegas Raiders
The Raiders drew a line under the quarterback search with Mendoza: B-.
by Grumzy ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 10 picks
· 5 steals
· 1 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 moved the roster forward and banked a B- for it.
Landing Ramsey that late papers over a lot of smaller sins. The Ramsey pick is fine in a vacuum, less so with edge rusher and offensive lineman still on the board. A whole weekend of picks and edge rusher is somehow still a want.
The Taylor pick is the one the value grade keeps tripping over.
In sum, a sturdy weekend with one asterisk, the edge rusher spot they never got to.
Pick-by-Pick
Fernando Mendoza at the 1st overall pick is right where the board had him, plain and simple. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
A reasonable price with a little left over, Denzel Boston in pick 36. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
A interior defensive lineman of that caliber at pick No. 67 is the definition of value, full stop. It fills a real need, too.
Bud Clark at slot 102 is neither steal nor reach, just the going rate. A quiet depth add at a thin-ish spot.
Of all the spots to shop, they chose safety. Kamari Ramsey in Round 4, Pick 17 leaves edge rusher and offensive lineman for later.
Will Lee III at the Round 4 slot is the sort of value that quietly wins a weekend. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
The board had Marlin Klein higher than No. 175, and the tight end fell to them anyway. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
A reach for J'Mari Taylor in the 185th pick; a little patience would have been rewarded. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
They let VJ Payne come to them and pounced at the 208th pick. Insurance at a position that did not really ask for it.
Kaelon Black in the Round 7 slot is exactly on the number, no argument either way. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.