Yates' latest mock draft sees the Las Vegas Raiders secure Ohio State's dominant defensive tackle Kayden McDonald, fortifying their front line.
The NFL free agency period has slowed down a lot, and the trades have also started to settle after a busy couple of weeks around the league.
Now, all eyes are looking toward the 2026 NFL Draft. The Las Vegas Raiders have been commonly mocked to take Indiana Hoosiers quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza at No. 1 overall.
And, Mendoza to the Raiders figures to be the first pick, unless Las Vegas surprises everybody and trades out of that choice.
The Raiders need a quarterback, and Mendoza is the consensus No. 1 pick in what is a very weak class at the position group.
Field Yates of ESPN put together a new two-round mock draft. And, he again had the Raiders selecting Mendoza with the first pick.
In the second round, the Raiders have pick No. 36, and that one has been a bit up in the air in other mock drafts.
The Raiders looked like they were landing another first-round pick when Maxx Crosby was traded to the Baltimore Ravens, but that changed when the Ravens surprisingly backed out of the deal.
In Yates' latest mock, he has the Raiders selecting Ohio State defensive tackle Kayden McDonald at No. 36.
"Under new defensive coordinator Rob Leonard, the Raiders are expected to a play 3-4 defense. There is no better option to anchor that scheme than McDonald, who is the best run stuffer in this class and also added 3.0 sacks in 2025. He is rugged at the point of attack, using his powerful hands to control interior offensive linemen," Yates wrote.
For what it's worth, Yates' mock has four Ohio State players going in the first round, with all of them going consecutively from picks No. 3 through picks No. 6.
McDonald is a big force up front, and while the Raiders have added a lot of pieces to the defense this offseason, the defensive line is one area they still could address.
Enter McDonald, who had 65 total tackles with three sacks and two forced fumbles this past season for the Buckeyes.
Sure, Indiana wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr. is an intriguing pick, especially since Mendoza and Cooper played together, but Yates has him going in the first round.
The Raiders can add a WR in the later rounds of this draft, in that case, but McDonald is somebody who can come in and right away and be a difference-maker for the defense.