B-
Las Vegas Raiders
Mendoza is the plan now, and the Raiders grade out a B-.
by Grumzy ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 10 picks
· 4 steals
· 4 reaches
They will call it conviction in the building and a reach everywhere else: Roman Hemby, 138 picks early at slot 219. Good, not great, and the B- says as much.
Fernando Mendoza gives the offense a face and a plan, and the grade leans heavily on whether he hits. Stukes at that cost is the sort of edge that compounds over a roster. Leaving edge rusher unaddressed is the roster risk they will have to answer for in the fall.
Good work on the whole, with edge rusher the one box left unchecked.
Pick-by-Pick
In the 1st overall pick they get their quarterback of the future at fair value. A real need, handled.
Fair-plus on Chris Brazzell II, a quiet win that adds up over a draft. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
A quiet steal in the 67th pick: Christen Miller for less than the market said. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
Treydan Stukes in Round 4, Pick 2 is the kind of fall that makes a whole class. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
Genesis Smith slid further than he should have, and pick No. 117 is lovely value for the safety. Depth more than a fix, but depth they can use.
Jalon Kilgore at No. 134 is the steal of the weekend, a first-round talent at a bargain-bin price. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
A wild overpay on J'Mari Taylor in pick No. 175, the sort that defines a class for the wrong reasons. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
A conviction pick on VJ Payne at the 185th overall pick that the board grades a round light. They added to a strength when a need was still open elsewhere.
Riley Nowakowski in the Round 6 slot is the kind of reach that only looks good if he outplays it. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
Roman Hemby at pick 219 is the pick scouts circle, and not in a good way. The roster fit checks out.