Latest Raiders Mock Draft (4.0) Predicts First Trade — What We Are Hearing

The Raiders’ new coach is set—but what we’re hearing post-Senior Bowl changes everything. Our fourth NFL Mock Draft reveals a fascinating trade scenario.

Las Vegas Raiders GM John Spytek, and minority owner Tom Brady | Darrell Craig Harris, On SI

HENDERSON, Nev.—The Las Vegas Raiders have landed their top pick for the next coach in Klint Kubiak, and will get their top pick at QB in Fernando Mendoza.

The sun is shining on the Raider Nation.

John Spytek and Tom Brady, along with an elite scouting staff led by Brandon Yeargan, are actively preparing for the 2026 NFL Draft and free agency.

Today, I offer you our MOCK Draft 4.0 for the 2026 season.

How Do We Make Our Picks?

After decades of doing this, we have sources across the college football landscape who provide quality information about what they are hearing on the ground.

Consider this: Before anyone else was paying attention, the Silver and Black were already tracking Fernando Mendoza, and we reported it. What did they see that others missed? The fact that Raider Nation’s scouts identified this young signal caller long before the buzz began raises an intriguing question—what hidden potential sparked their early interest?  Who else are they tracking?  We find out.

The NFL Sources

Our sources—cultivated and vetted over decades—deliver unparalleled intelligence on the Raiders’ strategic positioning, operational priorities, and personnel evaluation. Make no mistake: the prospects they deliberately pass on often reveal as much as those they pursue. This network provides the definitive read on Silver and Black decision-making.

The NFL is a tight network of people that, while appearing broad to the public, is rather small to those who operate in it.

2026 NFL MOCK Draft 1.0

2026 NFL MOCK Draft 2.0

2026 NFL MOCK Draft 3.0

2026 NFL MOCK Draft 4.0:

Indiana's Fernando Mendoza (15) talks to the crowd on the podium after the College Football Playoff National Championship college football game at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens on Monday, Jan. 19, 2026. | Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

• Round 1, pick 1:  Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana 

The reigning Heisman Trophy winner is clearly the number one quarterback in the 2026 NFL Draft, and while that doesn’t equate to the immediate thoughts of Peyton Manning or Andrew Luck, he is a tremendous NFL-ready player at the most important position in all of football.

Scout’s Take:  “Mendoza reminds me a lot of Matt Ryan, and some of Matt Stafford, with better legs than both.  I am not saying he is both of them; he has unique skill sets that each had separately.  With (Matt) Ryan, it is the ball skills, and with Stafford, it is the leadership.  Finally, the Raiders will have a true QB1 to lead them back, and with feet.”

Tennessee defensive back Jermod McCoy (3) before a college football game between Tennessee and UAB at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn., on Sept. 20, 2025. | Caitie McMekin/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

• Round 2, pick 36:    Jermod McCoy, CB, Tennessee

People are scared off by a previous injury, but this would be an absolute steal for a first-round talent.  Seem hard to believe pre-injury that he could drop to this point, but possible.  An immediate starter.

Scout’s Take:  “McCoy’s alien reduction ability, hip sink, and plant-and-drive explosiveness are all reminiscent of Darius Slay, and he has the playmaking ability to convert and generate turnovers as well. His injury places his current status for the 2026 NFL Draft in limbo.”

NCAA Football Iowa offensive line Gennings Dunker | Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

• Round 2, Pick 45 TRADE Gennings Dunker, OG, Iowa

You may remember that in 2024 we told you how the Raiders loved Cody Mauch from NDSU, and Spytek and the Buccaneers snagged him before the Silver and Black could.  Last year, the Raiders lost Grey Zabel from NDSU, and the Seahawks took him before they could.  This year, one offensive lineman that they love is Gennings Dunker.  Listen to how they announce him if he is picked by the Raiders.  If announced at guard, that would mean that Jackson Powers-Johnson was moving back to center.

Sep 13, 2025; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes offensive lineman Gennings Dunker (67) looks on before the game against the Massachusetts Minutemen at Kinnick Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images | Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

Scout’s Take:  “Not to confuse the reader: Dunker was the Hawkeyes' starting right tackle this season. His future as a pro is best served inside, where he has logged over 100 snaps across both guard spots throughout his collegiate career. The athleticism goes nicely with the technical proficiency for a quality starting guard.”

• Round 3, pick 67: Omar Cooper Jr., WR, Indiana  

Jan 19, 2026; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Indiana Hoosiers wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr. (3) against the Miami Hurricanes in the College Football Playoff National Championship game at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The opportunity to pair your young quarterback with one of his favorite targets requires very few brain cells.  He is a sure-handed and steady target that instantly brings chemistry with your new young gunslinger.

Scout’s Take:  “At 6’0″, 201 pounds, Cooper is a uniquely built WR prospect with great compact mass and powerful lower-body explosion packed up, but he also has the playing leverage and natural sink to redirect and re-channel acceleration through transitions. His primary two modes are as a RAC threat — with his elite explosiveness, speed, fast RAC transitions, and contact balance — and as a deep threat with his field-stretching range, body control, and sure hands — but he also flashes promise as a route runner on double-moves and short clearance concepts, using head fakes and stacked hip transitions to surge into space.”

UCF defensive end Malachi Lawrence (51) tackles ASU quarterback Sam Leavitt (10) as he scrambles during a game at Mountain America Stadium in Tempe on Nov. 9, 2024. | Patrick Breen/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

• Round 4, pick 102: Malachi Lawrence, EDGE, UCF

The Raiders are desperate for more help on the edge some teams can’t simply shut down Maxx Crosby,

Scout’s Take:  “Lawrence's combination of 35-inch arms and a swift first step gives him legitimate first-round traits on paper. He's a project in the areas of hand usage and lower-half mass, but the twitch, burst, and bend he flashes off the edge make his pass-rush ceiling feel sky-high if he continues to fill out and refine his game.”

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