The Las Vegas Raiders are picking first in the NFL draft for the first time since 2007, when they picked arguably the biggest bust in draft history, JaMarcus Russell. How will they do this season with Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza in their sights? We took the Raiders' picks, fired up the PFF mock draft simulator, and asked who the team will take in April. Here are the 10 picks it made for the Silver and Back through all seven rounds.
Round 1, Pick 1: QB Fernando Mendoza, Indiana
It doesn’t take high-level AI to predict that the Raiders are going to select Fernando Menoza with the No. 1 overall pick. The national championship-winning, Heisman Trophy-winning, Indiana signal-caller is, by far, the best QB prospect in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Yes, this is a weak QB draft overall, but after doing what he did for the Hoosiers, Mendoza would likely be at least a top-three selection no matter who was coming out. Whether the Raiders have the infrastructure and coaching staff (which we don’t know who this will be at publication) to develop him is a different story.
What we do know is that when you have the top pick and there is a potential franchise QB available, you have to make that choice. It may or may not work out in the long run, but the Raiders must take Mendoza at No. 1.
Round 2, Pick 36: EDGE Akheem Mesidor, Miami
After a team finishes dead last in the league, it is time to take some big swings in the next draft. Well, Akheem Mesidor is one of the biggest boom-or-bust prospects in the 2026 NFL Draft.
On the one hand, Mesidor is a game-wrecker who had more sacks this season than Rueben Bain Jr., who could go as high as No. 2 overall. On the other hand, he will be 25 when the new season starts, which means there may not be much upside and the reason for his domination may have been because he was a literal man amongst boys.
To finally fulfil their quest to finally put a premier pass rusher next to Maxx Crosby, this risk is worth that potential reward (IF Mesidor is still on the board at 36, which may not happen).
Round 3, Pick 67: LB Josiah Trotter, Missouri
Jeremiah Trotter was a physical, downhill linebacker who could plug a hole and deliver a wallop with the best of them. His play in the late 1990s and early 2000s led to four Pro Bowls and an All-Pro selection.
His son Josiah plays much the same way for better or worse. The Mizzou product (via West Virginia) is an old-school linebacker who is best when stopping the run. That means he’s not a perfect modern LB, who can cover as well as defend the run, but there is still value in this type of player.
Josiah Trotter may not be a three-down LB in the NFL, but he should be in the Raiders' base package on early downs.
Round 4, Pick 102: OT Austin Barber, Florida
Austin Barber has played left tackle and right tackle in college, and at 6-foot-6, 314 pounds, he may be best at guard in the league.
Despite the Raiders’ poor finish and dead-last ranked offensive line, according to PFF, there are the pieces there that could lead to rapid improvement with Kolton Miller, Dylan Parham, and Jackson Powers-Johnson. Adding a player like Barber, who could slot in at multiple positions, will help a lot.
Round 4, Pick 117: WR Eric McAlister, TCU
While the faces may change, this is still the Raiders, so the team will become fascinated with speed in the 2026 NFL Draft. TCU’s Eric McAlister is a deep threat who has some route-running skills as well. He had over 1,000 yards last season for the Horned Frogs, and reuniting with Jack Bech on the Raiders would add some level of familiarity.
Round 4, Pick 134: TE Josh Cuevas, Alabama
Drafting a quarterback first means you have to draft pass catchers for him to throw to as well. And while the Raiders do take some much-needed wideouts in this 2026 PFF NFL Mock Draft simulator run, they also grab some tight ends, despite having Brock Bowers and Michael Mayer on the roster.
In Josh Cuevas, the Raiders get a smaller, move-tight-end who gets into his routes quickly and runs them well. The 6-foot-3, 251-pound tight end who followed Kaleb DeBoer from Washington to Alabama would compete for the TE3 spot.
Round 5, Pick 174: WR Dane Key, Nebraska
Another wide receiver pick here for the Raiders brings in Dane Key, a 6-foot-3 WR who doesn’t have top-end speed but is a smart, technical player who can balance out all that gas Las Vegas likes to have.
Round 6, Pick 181: DL Zxavian Harris, Ole Mississippi
While the offensive side of the ball will be a priority to support Mendoza, the defense needs a lot of help, too. Zxavian Harris is an absolute mountain of a man at 6-foot-8, 330 pounds who is drawing comparisons to Deone Walker, who had a lot of success with the Buffalo Bills as a rookie.
The biggest issue here is Harris’ off-field incidents, which include domestic violence and driving under the influence arrests at Ole Miss.
Round 6, Pick 184: S Robert Spears-Jennings, Oklahoma
Robert Spears-Jennings is an all-around safety who is as comfortable playing in the box as he is covering backs and tight ends. He’s probably not fast enough to play slot receivers in the NFL, but his high school wide receiver background lets him track the ball well when covering players he can keep up with.
Round 7, Pick 219: TE Riley Nowakowski, Indiana
With three tight end formations becoming all the rage, it wouldn’t be a shock if the Raiders grabbed more than one in the late rounds to compete for that TE3 and maybe even TE4 spot on the roster.
Riley Nowakowski is another smaller, Y tight end who is similar to Cuevas but even smaller at 6-foot-1, 249. The big selling point here, though, is his connection with his college QB, Mendoza.
