We decided to do a deep dive on those who fit the club’s needs and might be of interest—with each of the following picks capable of completely reversing a franchise’s fortunes. You can feel the tension in the cold Pennsylvania air as front offices finalize their boards and prepare to make decisions that will define the next decade.
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Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza sits firmly at the top of the consensus boards. Mendoza dominated the Big Ten in 2025, posting an elite 91.6 PFF overall rating. The Raiders desperately need stability under center, and Mendoza processes defenses with mechanical precision. He reads the field, steps up in the pocket, and fires absolute strikes.
But the draft room is never simple. Ohio State linebacker Arvell Reese and Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love are actively pushing for top-five selections. Love ripped through defenses last season, accumulating 1,372 rushing yards and carrying his team’s offense on his back. Front offices are tearing apart the tape right now, looking for any flaw that might drop these blue-chip athletes down the board.
“You don’t just draft a player; you draft a leader who can carry the weight of a city on his shoulders. The pressure up on that stage is completely suffocating, but the great ones eat that pressure for breakfast.”
— Anonymous AFC General Manager, 2026 Scouting Combine
The selections made in Pittsburgh will directly shift the balance of power in the AFC West and beyond. If the Raiders secure Mendoza, they immediately threaten the Kansas City Chiefs’ stranglehold on the division. Las Vegas finished the 2025 season with a dismal 3-14 record. Hitting on this exact pick forces opposing defenses to respect the deep pass, opening up rushing lanes and keeping the Raiders’ defense fresh on the sideline.
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Meanwhile, the New York Jets sit at No. 2 overall, desperately seeking an elite safety like Ohio State’s Caleb Downs to shut down deep passing threats. Every single pick creates a ripple effect. The teams that draft strictly on raw athleticism will fall behind, while the franchises that target high-IQ football players will build sustained playoff success.
