2026 NFL Mock Draft: Las Vegas Raiders go quarterback

Last year, the Raiders tried to take the stalest parts of the early 2020s Seahawks and recreate that milquetoast magic in Las Vegas. Like a Cirque du Soleil show acted out by the elderly in hospice, it performed worse than expected. Current GM and possibly sentient A.I. John Spytek pushed a full reset by firing Pete Carroll, jettisoning starting QB Geno Smith, and attempting to trade star DE Maxx Crosby. Spytek has two goals this offseason: fix this offense and send robots back in time to kill Sarah Connor. He took a huge stride toward accomplishing his first goal with the hiring of Super Bowl champion Klint Kubiak.

With so many holes on the roster, who should the Raiders draft? There are some potential stars on offense in Brock Bowers and Ashton Jeanty, but the offensive line, wide receiver corps, and—most importantly—the QB room all have significant needs. Signing Tyler Linderbaum is a step in the right direction, and teaming him up with Charles Grant and Kolton Miller should help the offensive line improve, but they still need guards and tackle depth. Jalen Nailor was signed in free agency, and he could be exciting in Klint Kubiak’s offense, but after him, the wide receiver room has the talent equivalent of Mark Davis’s barber.

Las Vegas has had one of the worst—and lowest-paid—defenses in the NFL over the past couple of years. This unit was led by Maxx Crosby, even though he was playing on a knee so bad it made the Baltimore Ravens’ front office want to puke. Learning from the Eagles, the Raiders are attempting to create their own “Georgia Bulldog” defense by signing Nakobe Dean, Quay Walker, and Eric Stokes. Spytek also signed former Michigan Wolverine Kwity Paye to impress his college roommate and current boss, Tom Brady. If you chug a couple of beers and squint hard enough, you might see this defense improving under new defensive coordinator Rob Leonard.

Of all the needs on the Raiders’ roster, none is more glaring than quarterback. Anytime your former starting QB seems excited to go to the Jets, your QB room is in a bad place. At the end of the season, the Raiders left a sign-up sheet for QB outside the locker room, and the only one to sign up was Aidan O’Connell. The Raiders need a QB who isn’t jaded by years of losing, one who can be molded by Klint Kubiak, someone who won’t rack up a tab at the Bunny Ranch—and that someone is Fernando Mendoza.

Fernando Mendoza is coming off one of the more impressive college seasons we’ve ever seen. He led Indiana to an undefeated season and then ran through the College Football Playoff to win the championship. He was accurate and careful with the ball, and mobile when he needed to be. At 6’4” and 236 pounds, Mendoza has all the physical traits you want in a QB. Even though he sounds like a 1960s sitcom dad, his teammates rally around him. The Raiders are desperate for a QB, and Mendoza is the only one worth drafting in the first round—despite what Dan Orlovsky says.

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Other possible options at QB:

Tom Brady — He once sat at the pinnacle of football, but now he’s a man quickly approaching 50. With an ex-wife hanging out with his kid’s judo instructor and getting shown up by that punk Logan Paul at his intramural flag football games, life can really get you down. You can only hang out with so many Instagram models before realizing that playing professional football is the only thing that makes you feel alive. Sadly, the NFL denied us what could have been the greatest Hard Knocks season ever by not allowing Brady to suit up.

In conclusion, the Raiders’ draft history is something NFL general managers read at sleepovers to scare each other. Since 2002, the Raiders have had a record above .500 only three times. Despite all that losing, they’ve had a top-five pick just six times. The number one pick is a rare opportunity for them. In past years, the Raiders might have drafted Diego Pavia as if it were the obvious choice. It’s time to change that history, make the right decision, and select Fernando Mendoza with the first overall pick.

Now it’s YOUR TURN to vote for who you think should be selected with this pick.