B-
Las Vegas Raiders
The Raiders left with their quarterback, and a B- to match.
by ezekiel ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 10 picks
· 3 steals
· 1 reaches
The one hole that towered over the rest is filled. The Raiders spent their marquee pick on Fernando Mendoza, and for the first time in a while there is a real answer at quarterback. Solid and sensible more than spectacular: a B-.
They will need Fa'amoe to outplay his draft slot in a hurry to justify it. Whatever else happened, they won the night they took Lane.
They covered a lot of ground and still skipped edge rusher, which is a strange place to end up. They went 6 of 8 on their needs, which is most of what a draft is for.
Good work on the whole, with edge rusher the one box left unchecked.
Pick-by-Pick
In No. 1 they get a passer to set the clock by. A real need, handled.
No edge and no loss on Emmanuel Pregnon in pick 36; it is a wash and a sensible one. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
Christen Miller slipping to the Round 3 slot is the kind of luck good rooms make for themselves. A need, and now a little less of one.
Good price on Chandler Rivers in slot 102, a hair ahead of his grade with no real quibbles. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
Ja'Kobi Lane at pick No. 117 is a first-round grade at a bargain-bin price, no notes. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
By-the-book stuff, Harold Perkins Jr. at Round 4, Pick 34 squarely in line with his ranking. Useful body for a position without much behind the starter.
Reggie Virgil slid further than he should have, and the 175th overall pick is lovely value for the wide receiver. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
Zane Durant at the 185th pick is a sound buy, the sort that quietly helps a class. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
They left a pile of value on the table to take Fa'alili Fa'amoe this early at the 208th overall pick. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
Riley Nowakowski in pick 219 is fine work, a shade of surplus and no downside. It patches a soft spot without any drama.