The Las Vegas Raiders are taking Fernando Mendoza at No. 1, and this seven-round simulated mock draft has the Raiders addressing plenty of other needs.
The Las Vegas Raiders have plenty of work to do, especially with Indiana Hoosiers quarterback Fernando Mendoza expected to be the top overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Mendoza going at No. 1 is not a surprise by any means, but what the Raiders do from that point on remains to be seen.
In this exercise, I used PFSN's mock draft simulator to see what the board could look like for Las Vegas.
Round 1, No. 1 overall: Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza
Every single mock draft has Mendoza at No. 1, and the Raiders probably have the draft card filled out even before showing up to Pittsburgh on Thursday. It's a no-brainer, and Mendoza will be celebrating in Miami with his family instead of being in the green room, so don't wait for him to shake Roger Goodell's hand.
Round 2, No. 36 overall: Washington WR Denzel Boston
In this scenario, I tried to trade up to select Indiana WR Omar Cooper Jr., but nothing made sense from Las Vegas' perspective.
Instead, Boston is a great consolation prize, and somebody who should see plenty of targets right away in this offense.
Round 3, No. 67 overall: Iowa OG Gennings Dunker
The Raiders need to use a top-100 pick to address the offensive line, and that's why Dunker makes sense here for Las Vegas.
Round 4, No. 102 overall: Louisville DT Rene Konga
DT is another area of need, and the Raiders just need to address needs rather than taking chances at this stage of their rebuild.
Round 4, No. 117 overall: Clemson OT Tristan Leigh
Another pick that won't excite fans much, but still, addressing the trenches is a priority for Las Vegas.
Round 4, No. 134 overall: Oklahoma WR Deion Burks
Now you can have some fun. Boston is a big target, and Burks is the opposite. He is a smaller, speedy WR who can outrun plenty of defenses, and be used in a number of ways on the offense.
The former Purdue star fits right in.
Round 5, No. 175 overall: TRADE
Raiders get No. 177 and No. 218, send Cowboys No. 175
The Raiders probably want at least one more pick, and they move back two spots to get a seventh-round pick. Why not?
With No. 177, the Raiders select Kansas State safety VJ Payne
Round 6, No. 185 overall: North Carolina cornerback Thaddeus Dixon
Round 7, No. 208 overall: Alabama RB Jamarion Miller
The Raiders RB room outside of Ashton Jeanty is not great, and Miller is also a big back.
Round 7, No. 218 overall: Michigan kicker Dominic Zvada
Daniel Carlson is gone, and veteran Matt Gay might not be the option for very long. So, why not take a chance on a kicker?
Round 7, No. 219 overall: Miami center James Brockermeyer
Tyler Linderbaum is in town, so why not grab a young center to learn from a Pro Bowler?
PFSN gave this mock draft a B+, with the selections of Konga, Burks, Miller and Zvada receiving a C-.