After the failed Maxx Crosby trade, the Las Vegas Raiders secure their QB of the future and bolster defense and receiver with key draft picks.
The Las Vegas Raiders have made plenty of headlines this offseason.
It began with firing Pete Carroll, then trading away Geno Smith and naming Klint Kubiak as the new head coach.
The Raiders went wild on Day 1 of free agency, agreeing to deals with nearly 10 players, including top center Tyler Linderbaum.
And, prior to that, the Raiders agreed to trade Maxx Crosby to the Baltimore Ravens in exchange for two first-round picks, but one day after the NFL's legal tampering period began, the Ravens backed out of the trade only to sign Trey Hendrickson a day later.
The Raiders were set to have two top-20 picks due to the Crosby trade, but instead, Crosby is back, and the Raiders just have the No. 1 overall pick, which will almost certainly be Indiana Hoosiers star, Fernando Mendoza.
Following the wild events from the Crosby trade, Josh Edwards of CBS Sports had a new three-round mock draft.
With the first pick, he made the obvious choice for the Raiders to select Mendoza, which is the worst-kept secret in the league.
"No one is even considering alternatives for Las Vegas," Edwards wrote.
Yeah, that seems true, and every mock draft will have Mendoza, barring a last-minute change of heart.
Raiders Add To Defense In Round 2
The Raiders added a lot of help on the defensive side of the ball, but bringing in a defensive tackle seems like a glaring need for Las Vegas.
And, Edwards solves that problem with Florida DT Caleb Banks projected to Las Vegas in the second round at No. 36 overall.
Banks was regarded as a first-round pick at times, but he suffered a broken foot at the Combine, so he might slide a bit.
Raiders Give Mendoza a New WR
And, another obvious need is at the wide receiver position. In Round 3, Edwards solves that with Louisville WR Chris Bell projected to the Raiders at No. 67 overall.
Bell falling to Round 3 would be a surprise. he was regarded as a first-round pick before suffering a torn ACL in November, and he caught 72 passes for 917 yards with six touchdowns.
If Bell slides that far, it should be an immediate card turn in for the Raiders, and Mendoza and Bell teaming up would be a fun sight to see in Las Vegas.
If this is what the first three picks are for the Raiders, it would be a home run draft.