One Perfect NFL Draft Target for Raiders by Round

First Round: Quarterback

The Raiders will select quarterback Fernando Mendoza with the No. 1 overall pick in the upcoming draft.

Second Round: Safety

Las Vegas needs help at safety, as its two starting safeties are set to become free agents after the 2026 season. There is little depth behind those two players. Klint Kubiak believes this draft is deep with talented safeties. The No. 36 pick would be a good spot to select one.

That, of course, depends on what the teams ahead of the Raiders do. Safety or corner should be the focus here.

Third Round: Cornerback

Las Vegas needs all the help it can get at cornerback. Adding a corner in the third round, especially in conjunction with a safety, would be a solid move for the Raiders.

Fourth Round: Offensive Line

The Raiders have massive depth needs along their offensive line. Last season proved that one or two injuries along the unit are enough to doom the entire season for the Raiders. They cannot let that happen again. Las Vegas has added multiple starting offensive linemen in recent drafts.

Las Vegas did this with second and third-round picks. Unless they come across an unquestionable first-round talent at offensive line in the second round, adding multiple offensive linemen in the fourth round would be extremely smart on the front office's part. This could be a homerun for Las Vegas.

The Raiders have three picks in the fourth round. They should strongly consider using at least one or two of them on the offensive line.

Fifth Round: Wide Receiver

Las Vegas would be wise to add a wide receiver at one point or another during the draft. However, after using a second-round pick on Jack Bech, who has yet to prove he was worth a second-round pick, Las Vegas should pass on adding to the position group until late in the draft.

Las Vegas has already paid veteran wide receiver Jalen Nailor. They still have Bech, Tre Tucker, and Dont'e Thornton. Las Vegas' offense can still throw the ball to Brock Bowers and Michael Mayer, as well as Ashton Jeanty. A low-risk, low-cost addition to the position group via the draft makes sense.

Sixth Round: Linebacker

Even more so than at the wide receiver position, the Raiders recently made a significant financial commitment to their group of linebackers. The additions of Nakobe Dean and Quay Walker are likely to cover the group for some time. Still, the unit needs additional depth.

Dean has a history of injuries, and there is a drop-off between Dean, Walker, and the rest of the Raiders' linebackers. The position group is also becoming increasingly important with the change of rules on special teams, where the more linebackers a team has, the better.

Seventh Round: Toss Up

Oftentimes, players picked in the seventh round do not make the team. So, the Raiders have little to lose, regardless of which position group they draft. Depending on how many offensive linemen the Raiders draft in the middle rounds, they could add another lineman in the seventh round.

Doing so could be a steal for the Raiders if they can find a dependable reserve offensive lineman. The same can be said about the cornerback position. Las Vegas needs all the affordable help it can get at cornerback. Adding multiple in this draft wouldn't be a bad idea for a roster desperately in need.

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