Why the Raiders' Options Go Beyond Mendoza at No. 1

The Las Vegas Raiders have the first overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. With the holes they have on their team, will it be wise for them to trade that pick?

Dec 5, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Tom Brady looks on during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Final Draw at John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-Imagn Images | Amber Searls-Imagn Images

The Las Vegas Raiders have a lot to do this offseason.

After having another terrible season and one that many are calling the worst in franchise history, they have hit the reset button and the rebuild button. That is what this team needed for some time now, and they finally came to grips that they need to do something else than what they have been doing in the past. The Raiders have not been successful over the last few decades, and nothing has worked out for them.

This offseason, they are once again looking to hire the right head coach to lead this team into the future. The coaching search is on once again, and that is something that they did not want to do, but it was the move that they needed to make to start the rebuild.

Now the Raiders are looking at many holes on both sides of the ball, and they have to fill them. But the most important thing they did was come out and say that this team is embracing the rebuild.

Jan 19, 2026; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Las Vegas Raiders general manager John Spytek and owner Mark Davis walk on the sideline before the CFP National Championship college football game between the Indiana Hoosiers and the Miami Hurricanes at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Do Raiders Trade the first overall pick?

Even with everything that has gone wrong for the Silver and Black over the last few years, the Raiders do have something going for them this offseason. They will have money to spend on free agents, they want to bring in and see part of the rebuild for this team.

The franchise also has the first overall pick, and that could be used to take their next franchise quarterback. Or it could be used to get more draft capital and address more positions.

"I want to start with this, because a few weeks ago I said I would trade the pick and I will take picks," said NFL analyst Jeff Saturday on Get Up.

"I would take [Fernando] Mendoza. After what I saw him do in this playoff run, I would take Mendoza. There is a certain quality about this kid that you saw not only in that championship game, but through this playoff run. The toughness he showed ... As a player, when you are in the huddle, and you are looking at that dude, you know it hurts."

Jan 19, 2026; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Tom Brady looks on from the sideline before the CFP National Championship college football game between the Indiana Hoosiers and the Miami Hurricanes at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Raiders are going to be receiving calls about other teams looking to trade up and getting that first overall pick to draft Mendoza. It is hard to see a trade for the Raiders where they move out of that pick. Their franchise quarterback is there for the taking.

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