B-
Las Vegas Raiders
The Raiders found their guy under center in Mendoza: B-.
by Grumzy ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 10 picks
· 4 steals
· 3 reaches
After circling the position for what felt like forever, the Raiders committed. Fernando Mendoza is the quarterback now, and the roster gets built to his timeline.
They are betting Black proves the room right and everyone else wrong. Getting Stukes where they did is the sort of value that quietly makes a class.
They covered a lot of ground and still skipped edge rusher, which is a strange place to end up. Cornerback was the priority and it is no longer a question, which is most of the job.
Bottom line, more hits than misses and a roster nudged the right way.
Pick-by-Pick
In Round 1, Pick 1 they get the arm they will build around. A clean fit for the roster.
A market-rate wide receiver, with the board and the slot shaking hands on Omar Cooper Jr.. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
Zachariah Branch at pick No. 67 is neither steal nor reach, just the going rate. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
Treydan Stukes at the 102nd overall pick is the steal of the weekend, a first-round talent at a bargain-bin price. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
Quietly one of the better values of the day, Genesis Smith at pick 117. Not urgent, but hardly pointless.
The board had Julian Neal higher than the Round 4 slot, and the cornerback fell to them anyway. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
They left a pile of value on the table to take Kaelon Black this early at No. 175. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
Riley Nowakowski in slot 185 is a bet on their own eyes over everyone else's grade. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
They let Taylen Green come to them and pounced at No. 208. A need, and now a little less of one.
They liked Brandon Cleveland enough to skip the value, taking him in slot 219. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.