B-
Las Vegas Raiders
Mendoza is the plan now, and the Raiders grade out a B-.
by Grumzy ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 11 picks
· 4 steals
· 3 reaches
They finally answered the question that shadows every other one. Fernando Mendoza is the Raiders' quarterback, full stop. Solid and sensible more than spectacular: a B-.
The Sarratt pick alone nudges the whole weekend up a notch. Leaving edge rusher unaddressed is the roster risk they will have to answer for in the fall. The Ponds pick is the one the value grade keeps tripping over.
Job largely done: cornerback settled and 6 of 8 of the wish list covered.
Solid rather than spectacular, and there is nothing wrong with that.
Pick-by-Pick
Fernando Mendoza at the 1st overall pick is right where the board had him, plain and simple. It fills a real need, too.
They jumped the gun on D'Angelo Ponds, taking him earlier than his grade liked. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
Lee Hunter at No. 67 is a first-round grade at a bargain-bin price, no notes. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
Elijah Sarratt in Round 4, Pick 2 should not have been possible, and that is the whole point. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
Genesis Smith slid further than he should have, and pick 117 is lovely value for the safety. Useful body for a position without much behind the starter.
Jude Bowry at slot 134 nudges the ledger their way without any fuss. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
Taylen Green at pick No. 175 jumps the queue by a touch more than is comfortable. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
They paid sticker price for VJ Payne in the 189th pick, and that is fine. Stacking talent where they were already deep.
Riley Nowakowski at the 208th pick is neither steal nor reach, just the going rate. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
Aiden Fisher at Round 7, Pick 3 is a conviction pick that outran the value. A minor itch, scratched.
Good things come to war rooms that wait, and Keyshaun Elliott at the 226th overall pick is the proof. Pure best-available; the position was not exactly begging.