LAS VEGAS — The dust settled on NFL free agency, and the Las Vegas Raiders are holding 10 picks heading into the 2026 NFL Draft. The blockbuster Maxx Crosby trade died on the operating table. Kwity Paye signed the dotted line. Now, general manager Tom Telesco stares down the barrel of April 23 with the No. 1 overall pick and a franchise desperate for an offensive face.
According to the latest PFF 2026 NFL Mock Draft simulator, Las Vegas finds that face immediately. The Raiders sprint to the podium for Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza, then use the remaining rounds to plug gaping holes in the trenches and the secondary. The simulator spit out a class built on raw athleticism, sheer size, and high-upside gambles.
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The New York Jets can wait their turn at No. 2. The draft truly starts and ends with Las Vegas grabbing Fernando Mendoza first overall. The kid ignored the critics who knocked his physical traits. He silenced the noise, threw for 41 touchdowns, grabbed the Heisman Trophy, and led the Hoosiers to a flawless 16-0 national championship run. Mendoza processes defenses like a supercomputer. If Vegas builds a wall in front of him, he brings a proven winning pedigree to Allegiant Stadium.
Draft karma pays off for Las Vegas in the second round. After missing out on extra capital from the fizzled Crosby deal, the Raiders snag Oregon’s Emmanuel Pregnon at Pick 36. The 6-foot-4, 314-pound guard brings a nasty, violent streak to the interior line. Vegas needs immediate protectors for Mendoza, and getting the second-best pure guard in the class makes the front office ecstatic.
At Pick 67, the Raiders add a terrifying complement to Ashton Jeanty. Arkansas running back Mike Washington Jr. pairs his 223-pound frame with a blistering 4.33-second 40-yard dash. Jeanty broke franchise rookie records last season, earning PFWA All-Rookie honors, but modern NFL backfields demand a two-headed monster. Washington gives them a speed-weight combo that punishes tired linebackers.
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The simulator hits defense in the fourth round. Vegas grabs Auburn edge rusher Keyron Crawford at Pick 102. Crawford only started playing football as a high school senior, yet he terrorized the SEC with explosive quickness. Sitting him behind Crosby and Paye allows the raw 253-pound athlete to refine his pass-rush arsenal.
“If you want to lead, you first have to play well. And then second, it’s having the respect of your teammates through work ethic, through your tenacity. I’m ready to give it my all.”
— Fernando Mendoza, Indiana Quarterback
Because the Raiders own so many mid-to-late picks, they afford themselves the luxury of drafting the best player available. They grab TCU ballhawk Bud Clark at Pick 117 and South Carolina hybrid defender Jalon Kilgore at Pick 134. Clark picked off 15 passes in college. He gambles, but he generates turnovers. Kilgore brings pure SEC physicality, giving defensive coordinator Patrick Graham a versatile chess piece.
In the fifth and sixth rounds, Vegas doubles down on offensive tackles with wildly different profiles. They select Notre Dame’s Aamil Wagner at Pick 175 and Penn State’s massive 6-foot-8 Nolan Rucci at Pick 185. Wagner provides immediate, high-floor depth as a swing tackle. Rucci offers a massive lump of clay for offensive line coach James Cregg to mold into a future starter.
The draft wraps up with rotational pieces: Texas Tech defensive tackle Skyler Gill-Howard (Pick 208) and Oklahoma safety Robert Spears-Jennings (Pick 219). Both players inject blazing speed into the special teams unit while developing their defensive instincts.
Nailing this draft catapults Las Vegas from a gritty, defense-first spoiler into a legitimate AFC West contender. Pairing a cerebral distributor like Mendoza with an ascending star like Jeanty takes the pressure off the defense. Defensively, retaining Crosby and adding Paye means the Raiders can rush the passer in waves. If Pregnon and the rookie offensive linemen give Mendoza 2.5 seconds to throw, the Raiders will threaten the Chiefs’ division crown as early as December.
