B-
Las Vegas Raiders
The Raiders answered their biggest question with Mendoza. Grade: B-.
by Grumzy ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 10 picks
· 2 steals
· 4 reaches
Nobody else had Roman Hemby anywhere near the Round 7 slot. The Raiders did, by 134 spots, and that gap is the whole story. They moved the roster forward and banked a B- for it.
Everything downstream of Fernando Mendoza depends on Fernando Mendoza, and the building knows it. However the rest shakes out, Kilgore at that price is a win they earned. They punted on edge rusher, and it is the miss that keeps the grade honest.
A tidy weekend of work that should hold up just fine.
Pick-by-Pick
Fernando Mendoza in the 1st pick is exactly on the number, no argument either way. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
Dillon Thieneman at the 36th overall pick is right where the board had him, plain and simple. It thickens a room that could stand to be thicker.
A top-tier interior defensive lineman at a bargain, Lee Hunter in pick No. 67, plain and simple. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
A reasonable price with a little left over, Treydan Stukes in pick 102. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
Jalon Kilgore in Round 4, Pick 20 is a gift, value that borders on unfair. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
A clean, defensible pick in slot 134 with a little surplus value in Parker Brailsford. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
A reach on Taylen Green in pick 175; the board had better options right there. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
VJ Payne at Round 6, Pick 4 is a clear overpay, with better names still on the board. A want more than a need, though you can never have too many.
A reach for Riley Nowakowski in the Round 6 slot; a little patience would have been rewarded. The roster fit checks out.
Roman Hemby at the 219th overall pick is a steep price for a hunch, hard to square with any board. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.