If the Raiders take Fernando Mendoza first overall in the 2026 NFL Draft, and all signs still point that way heading into the April 23 draft, who should they draft next? The rest of this class is not about forcing random needs onto the board. It is about finishing what they already started in free agency.
The Raiders front office did not spend March acting like a team with one hole. They acted like a team trying to stabilize the quarterback room, harden the middle of the roster, and stop wasting Maxx Crosby’s prime.
The biggest thing people keep getting lazy about with this Raiders conversation is pretending the draft starts from scratch. It does not.
Las Vegas already signed Kirk Cousins, and whether people love that move or not, it completely changes the pace of this rebuild. Cousins gives them a veteran who knows how to operate, has nearly 44,700 career passing yards and 298 touchdown passes, and has already worked with Klint Kubiak before.
That gives the Raiders the option to bring Mendoza along without immediately throwing him into the deep end.
That is why the 2026 NFL Draft after Fernando Mendoza should not be treated like some desperate scramble for instant offense. The Raiders already addressed quarterback with Cousins, they already upgraded the offensive interior with Tyler Linderbaum, and they already added pieces across the defense with Quay Walker, Nakobe Dean, Kwity Paye, Taron Johnson, and Segun Olubi, while also bringing back Eric Stokes, Malcolm Koonce, and Thomas Booker IV.
John Spytek called the approach “intelligently aggressive,” which is exactly what it looked like.
And that is also why the Maxx Crosby situation hangs over every part of this mock. This offseason got weird fast. The Raiders had an agreement in place to send Crosby to Baltimore for two first round picks before the Ravens backed out. Spytek later said the team welcomed Crosby back “like he never left,” but that whole episode told you something.
This roster is still in a delicate place. If the Raiders want Crosby fully bought into the direction, they cannot come out of this draft acting like the job is done just because they may have found their quarterback.
So if Mendoza is the first pick, here is where this draft should go next.
The second move should be wide receiver. Not because the Raiders have nothing there, but because they still do not have enough there.
Tre Tucker stepped into the WR1 role last season and led the team with 696 receiving yards, while Jalen Nailor came in as the big offseason addition after posting 69 catches for 1,066 yards and 11 touchdowns across four seasons in Minnesota.
Jack Bech and Dont’e Thornton Jr. are still developing, and Brock Bowers remains the most dangerous pass catcher on the roster after leading the team in receptions and receiving touchdowns despite missing five games.
That is a useful room. It is not a complete room.
Raiders 2026 NFL Draft Possibilities
That is why the first Raiders pick in the 2026 NFL Draft after Mendoza should be a true perimeter receiver, somebody who can win outside, stretch the field, and give either Cousins or Mendoza a cleaner picture before the snap. This is not about replacing Tucker or acting like Nailor does not matter. It is about not forcing Tucker to carry WR1 expectations again if the room is better suited for him to be a speed weapon, and not pretending a rookie quarterback should grow in an offense where Bowers has to solve every third down.
The Raiders need one more receiver with real starter juice, not another body.
After that, I think the Raiders should come right back to the offensive line. And yes, Tyler Linderbaum changes the math here. He absolutely should.
He is not some side note, he is one of the biggest moves they made. He has started all 66 games he played in Baltimore, made three straight Pro Bowls, and in 2025 he was part of a Ravens rushing attack that averaged a league best 5.3 yards per carry. The Raiders also added Spencer Burford, and the roster still includes Kolton Miller and Jackson Powers-Johnson. That is a better foundation than they had before.
But better does not mean finished. The Raiders used 11 different starting offensive linemen in 2025, and DJ Glaze was the only lineman who started all 17 games. That is instability, plain and simple. So after Mendoza, and after a receiver if the board gives them one they like, I still think they should use another premium pick on the offensive front, probably a guard or tackle with starting upside.
Linderbaum gives them a legit center. He does not erase the need for more protection depth or long term trench strength. If the Raiders draft a quarterback and do not keep investing in the people blocking for him, they are asking for the same cycle again.
The defensive side is where this mock 2026 NFL Draft gets more interesting, because a lot of fans are going to look at the Quay Walker and Nakobe Dean signings and say linebacker is solved. That is too easy.
The Raiders absolutely overhauled that room. Walker started 57 of 58 games in Green Bay and led the Packers in tackles in each of his four seasons. Dean came over from Philadelphia with 219 career tackles, 19 tackles for loss, and 7.5 sacks. Segun Olubi was added as a special teams ace after recording 30 special teams tackles and two blocked punts over four years with the Colts. That is real work.
Still, I would not fully cross linebacker off the board.
Not because it is the biggest need, but because the Raiders just showed you the kind of player they want there, range, speed, and guys who can actually run. If a high upside linebacker is sitting there on Day 2 or early Day 3, especially one who can cover and hit, I would not be surprised at all if they doubled up. The room is improved, but it is still new, and Dean’s durability is not something you can just ignore. If the value is right, linebacker still makes sense after Mendoza.
Corner is the same kind of conversation.
This is another spot where people can get sloppy and act like the Raiders did nothing. They did.
Eric Stokes was re-signed after starting 16 games in 2025, and the roster article says he held opposing quarterbacks to a 56.7 completion percentage and 9.7 yards per completion last year. Taron Johnson was acquired from Buffalo after eight seasons there, bringing 113 games of experience, six interceptions, eight sacks, and a 2023 All-Pro season. That is not small. That is the front office telling you they know the secondary had to get more stable.
But Taron Johnson is entering his ninth NFL season, and Stokes is more prove-it steady than lockdown unquestioned CB1. So even with those moves, I still think corner belongs in this mock after Mendoza. The Raiders do not need to force a corner with their very next pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, but they absolutely should come away from this draft with another outside cover guy or a versatile defensive back who can grow behind the veterans and eventually start.
You do not trade for Taron Johnson and bring back Stokes just to stop looking for corners. You do it so you are not forced to overdraft one.
Defensive line is where the Crosby angle comes back into focus.
Crosby led the Raiders in sacks for a fourth straight season in 2025 with 10.0, and he led the team in tackles for loss with 28. Koonce, Jonah Laulu, and Tyree Wilson combined for 12.5 sacks, and the team added Kwity Paye, who brings 30.5 career sacks from Indianapolis. On paper, that looks better than it did a month ago. In reality, the Raiders still need to keep feeding that front.
If the Raiders are serious about making sure this defense does not live and die with Maxx Crosby every Sunday, they should still be looking at another edge or interior disruptor somewhere in this class.
Not necessarily in the first pick of the 2026 NFL Draft after Mendoza, but at some point. Koonce returning helps. Paye helps. Booker returning helps. None of that means you stop drafting pass rush. The best defenses keep waves coming, and the Raiders have not been good enough for long enough to start acting like they are above that principle.
There is also a real argument for adding another running back later in the 2026 NFL Draft, depending on how Kubiak wants to shape the offense.
The official roster piece mostly talks about Connor Heyward entering the backfield mix as a fullback and notes Dylan Laube’s special teams usage, but the bigger point is that this offense looks like it wants to be more structurally sound, more multiple, and less random than what people have associated with the Raiders in recent years. If Cousins opens the season, the Raiders are going to want balance.
If Mendoza plays early, they are going to need balance even more.
So the cleanest version of this 2026 NFL Draft, after Mendoza, looks like this to me:
wide receiver first
offensive line second
corner or linebacker next depending on value
then another defensive front piece
then a backfield or special teams fit later.
That approach actually matches what they already did in March. It does not ignore Tyler Linderbaum. It does not ignore Taron Johnson or Eric Stokes. It does not ignore Quay Walker, Nakobe Dean, or Segun Olubi. It builds on them.
And that is really the whole point.
The Raiders do not need a fake mock 2026 NFl Draft where every pick is made in a vacuum and every paragraph forgets what happened in free agency. They need a 2026 NFL Draft that reflects the reality of their offseason.
Cousins was signed for a reason. Linderbaum was signed for a reason. The linebacker room was rebuilt for a reason. The secondary was addressed for a reason. The Crosby drama happened for a reason too, because this organization knows it is under pressure to show real direction, not just promise it.
If Mendoza is the quarterback they select first overall in the 2026 NFL Draft, then the best Raiders mock draft is not about chasing headlines after him. It is about making sure the next picks give him a legitimate chance, while also proving to the veterans still in that locker room, especially Crosby, that this front office is finally building something that makes sense.
Here are 25 names to actually watch, based on what the Raiders need now after bringing in Kirk Cousins, adding Tyler Linderbaum, rebuilding linebacker, and trying to keep Maxx Crosby bought in.
Wide Receivers (Raiders need another real weapon)
- Tetairoa McMillan
- Emeka Egbuka
- Xavier Worthy
- Rome Odunze
- Adonai Mitchell
You can’t roll into a season with Tre Tucker as your WR1 again and expect a rookie QB to develop clean.
Offensive Line (even with Linderbaum, they’re not done)
- Olu Fashanu
- Joe Alt
- Taliese Fuaga
- Jackson Powers-Johnson
- Graham Barton
Reality check: Tyler Linderbaum fixes the middle, not the whole line. Protecting Cousins and Mendoza is still priority #1.
Cornerbacks (they added guys, still need long-term answers)
- Cooper DeJean
- Kool-Aid McKinstry
- Terrion Arnold
- Nate Wiggins
- Kamari Lassiter
Context: Taron Johnson and Eric Stokes help right now, but neither is a long-term lockdown CB1.
Defensive Line (this is about helping Crosby immediately)
- Dallas Turner
- Jared Verse
- Laiatu Latu
- Jer’Zhan Newton
- Byron Murphy II
Don’t overthink it: If you want Maxx Crosby to stay bought in, you give him help. Period.
Linebackers (they signed guys, but depth and speed still matter)
- Edgerrin Cooper
- Junior Colson
- Payton Wilson
Why still look here: Quay Walker and Nakobe Dean upgrade the room, but neither is a guarantee to anchor it long-term.
Running Backs (late round value, don’t ignore it)
- Trey Benson
- Blake Corum
Simple: Rookie QB or not, you need a run game that actually works.
Don’t get tunnel vision on one pick when it comes to this 2026 NFL Draft.
The Raiders already:
- added Kirk Cousins
- upgraded with Tyler Linderbaum
- rebuilt linebacker
- added secondary help
- still have a motivated but watching Maxx Crosby
This 2026 NFL Draft is about stacking around that. If even 3–4 names from this list hit for the Raiders, the entire direction of the franchise changes.
If they miss? Same story, different year.
If you’re looking at this 2026 NFL Draft strictly through the lens of one name, you’re missing the bigger picture. The Las Vegas Raiders didn’t spend this offseason sitting still, and that matters when you start projecting what happens next.
They brought in Kirk Cousins to stabilize the offense, added Tyler Linderbaum to anchor the interior, rebuilt the linebacker room with Quay Walker and Nakobe Dean, and addressed the secondary with veterans like Taron Johnson while bringing back Eric Stokes.
That’s not a team starting from zero. That’s a team trying to clean up years of inconsistency and finally give itself some structure.
And still, hovering over everything, is Maxx Crosby. The production is there, the leadership is there, but the patience isn’t unlimited. This front office knows that. You don’t navigate trade conversations, even ones that don’t go through, unless there’s real pressure to show direction.
That’s why this 2026 NFL Draft, outside of quarterback, is about stacking real football players who actually fit what this roster is trying to become.
At wide receiver, this team still needs someone who can tilt the field. Tetairoa McMillan brings size and catch radius, the kind of target that makes life easier on any quarterback. Emeka Egbuka is polished, reliable, and comfortable working all levels of the field. Xavier Worthy adds straight-line speed that forces defenses to respect the deep ball. Rome Odunze gives you a true outside presence, while Adonai Mitchell brings size and red zone upside. The Raiders don’t need five receivers, they need one that actually changes how defenses line up.
Up front, even with Linderbaum in place, the job isn’t finished.
Olu Fashanu and Joe Alt both profile as long-term protectors, the kind of tackles you don’t have to worry about once they’re in the building. Taliese Fuaga brings physicality, Jackson Powers-Johnson offers versatility and toughness, and Graham Barton gives you flexibility across the line. The Raiders used too many different combinations up front last season to act like one signing fixes everything.
The secondary got attention this offseason, but it’s not locked down.
Cooper DeJean offers versatility, Kool-Aid McKinstry brings physical outside coverage, Terrion Arnold competes at a high level snap after snap, Nate Wiggins has the speed teams covet, and Kamari Lassiter brings consistency. Adding Taron Johnson helps right now, but the Raiders still need a long-term answer on the outside.
On the defensive front, the conversation keeps coming back to one thing, don’t waste Crosby.
Dallas Turner, Jared Verse, and Laiatu Latu all bring pass rush upside that would immediately take pressure off him. Inside, Jer’Zhan Newton and Byron Murphy II give you interior disruption that changes how offenses handle protection. This isn’t about adding bodies, it’s about making sure offenses can’t key in on one player every snap.
Linebacker was addressed, but that doesn’t mean it’s off the board. Edgerrin Cooper, Junior Colson, and Payton Wilson all bring speed and range, traits the Raiders clearly prioritized when they added Walker and Dean. Depth matters here, especially over a full season.
And then there’s the backfield, where late-round value still makes sense.
Trey Benson and Blake Corum both offer production without forcing an early investment. If the Raiders want balance, especially with Cousins likely opening the season, they can’t ignore the run game.
This is what the board actually looks like if you step back and pay attention to what the Raiders have already done. It’s not about chasing one fix. It’s about connecting the moves they made in March to the decisions they make on draft night.
Because if they get this 2026 NFL Draft right, if they add the right receiver, reinforce the line again, bring in another piece for the secondary, and give Crosby real help up front, this roster finally starts to feel like it’s moving in one direction.
If they don’t, it’s the same conversation all over again, just with a different quarterback at the center of it.
