RAIDERS MOCK DRAFT GRADE B-

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TakingShapeD21 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

A passer of the future in Mendoza, and a B-, for the Raiders.

by Grumzy · 2026 NFL Draft · 13 picks · 5 steals · 2 reaches
Value B-
Need B
Trades B-
Future B-

Call it a hunch or call it a gamble, but the Raiders spent pick 236 on Roman Hemby, a name most had 117 spots down the list. Good, not great, and the B- says as much.

Everything downstream of Fernando Mendoza depends on Fernando Mendoza, and the building knows it. The Clark pick reads as want over need, and the roster will feel it at edge rusher and offensive lineman. The Lane value carries more weight than any single miss elsewhere.

That edge rusher hole did not close this weekend, and it was the biggest one on the wall.

All told, a draft that does its job without fuss, and there is real value in that.

Pick-by-Pick

R1.1 · Pick 1 · Fernando Mendoza · QB · rank 4
In slot 1 they get the face of the franchise. A clean fit for the roster.
R2.4 · Pick 36 · Dillon Thieneman · S · rank 35
They took Dillon Thieneman at par in the 36th pick, which is nothing to complain about. It adds depth where they could use a little.
R3.3 · Pick 67 · D'Angelo Ponds · CB · rank 47
You do not let a cornerback like D'Angelo Ponds reach pick 67 and blink. They did not. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
R4.11 · Pick 111 · Bud Clark · S · rank 103
The needs board was loud and they turned it down, spending pick No. 111 on Bud Clark with edge rusher and offensive lineman unsolved.
R4.20 · Pick 120 · Ja'Kobi Lane · WR · rank 98
Somehow Ja'Kobi Lane was still sitting there in No. 120, and they pounced on premier wide receiver value. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
R4.34 · Pick 134 · Will Lee III · CB · rank 124
Value with a capital V on Will Lee III in the Round 4 slot, a genuine coup. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
R5.30 · Pick 170 · Bryce Boettcher · LB · rank 172
By-the-book stuff, Bryce Boettcher at pick 170 squarely in line with his ranking. A quiet depth add at a thin-ish spot.
R5.35 · Pick 175 · Albert Regis · DL · rank 170
A reasonable price with a little left over, Albert Regis in the 175th overall pick. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
R6.4 · Pick 185 · Zane Durant · DT · rank 179
Zane Durant at Round 6, Pick 4 is a sound buy, the sort that quietly helps a class. A need, and now a little less of one.
R6.20 · Pick 201 · Taylen Green · QB · rank 188
A quiet steal in slot 201: Taylen Green for less than the market said. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
R6.27 · Pick 208 · Riley Nowakowski · TE · rank 216
A reach for Riley Nowakowski in pick No. 208; a little patience would have been rewarded. It fills a real need, too.
R7.3 · Pick 219 · Kaelon Black · RB · rank 217
Kaelon Black at the Round 7 slot is neither steal nor reach, just the going rate. The roster fit checks out.
R7.20 · Pick 236 · Roman Hemby · RB · rank 353
Roman Hemby at No. 236 is the pick scouts circle, and not in a good way. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
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