RAIDERS MOCK DRAFT GRADE B-

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TakingShapeD11426 B-

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Letter grade with a four-component score, written analysis, and a pick-by-pick breakdown for every selection in this saved mock.

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B-

Las Vegas Raiders

The Raiders answered their biggest question with Mendoza. Grade: B-.

by Grumzy · 2026 NFL Draft · 12 picks · 2 steals · 4 reaches
Value B-
Need B
Trades B-
Future B-

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 will need Black to outplay his draft slot in a hurry to justify it. The edge rusher hole is the one line item this class does not answer. The Smith pick is fine in a vacuum, less so with edge rusher still on the board.

They banked enough surplus on Prysock to cover a lot of smaller sins.

All told, a solid class that does its job everywhere but edge rusher.

Pick-by-Pick

R1.1 · Pick 1 · Fernando Mendoza · QB · rank 4
In the 1st overall pick they get a franchise quarterback. A clean fit for the roster.
R2.4 · Pick 36 · Chris Brazzell II · WR · rank 29
Chris Brazzell II in the Round 2 slot lands just on the right side of the ledger. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
R3.3 · Pick 67 · Domonique Orange · DT · rank 73
They took Domonique Orange at par in pick 67, which is nothing to complain about. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
R4.8 · Pick 108 · Bud Clark · S · rank 105
Nothing to complain about; Bud Clark went a shade earlier than his grade, which is fine. Useful depth more than a marquee fix.
R4.17 · Pick 117 · Genesis Smith · S · rank 106
A curious use of the 117th pick. Edge rusher needed the pick; a safety in Genesis Smith did not.
R4.34 · Pick 134 · Gracen Halton · DL · rank 128
A reasonable price with a little left over, Gracen Halton in Round 4, Pick 34. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
R5.30 · Pick 170 · Kaelon Black · RB · rank 226
This one needs a full-page explanation: Kaelon Black in pick No. 170, miles early. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
R6.4 · Pick 185 · Taylen Green · QB · rank 191
A market-rate quarterback, with the board and the slot shaking hands on Taylen Green. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
R6.13 · Pick 194 · Riley Nowakowski · TE · rank 224
Riley Nowakowski at pick 194 is the kind of overdraft that needs everything to break right. It fills a real need, too.
R6.27 · Pick 208 · Ephesians Prysock · CB · rank 192
Ephesians Prysock at No. 208 is money in the bank, a cornerback taken below his worth. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
R7.3 · Pick 219 · Eli Heidenreich · WR · rank 249
Eli Heidenreich at the 219th overall pick is a steep price for a hunch, hard to square with any board. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
R7.9 · Pick 225 · Nolan Rucci · OT · rank 262
Nolan Rucci at Round 7, Pick 9 is the pick scouts circle, and not in a good way. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
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