Raiders NFL Five-Round Mock Draft 1.0: What Will They Do on Draft Night?

HENDERSON, Nev.—The Las Vegas Raiders enter an exciting time of rebuilding and turning the page on returning this elite franchise to the glory it once held firmly in its hand.

John Spytek and Tom Brady, along with an elite scouting staff led by rising star Brandon Yeargan, will all be scouring the football world looking for talent for their new coaching staff.

Today I offer you our MOCK Draft 1.0 for the 2026 season.

How Do We Make Our Picks?

The College Sources

We listen closely to the college sources that we have earned over the years to assess who the Raiders have been watching.

For example, we told you before the season started, the Silver and Black had their eyes on Fernando Mendoza. Something that should excite Raider Nation, as they were on the young signal caller long before it was popular.

The NFL Sources

Our sources, accumulated over decades, regularly tell us what they see and hear about the Raiders. Once we learned about the Raiders' interest in Mendoza early on, it was only about 10 days later that we started hearing it from NFL people.

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

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. Fernando Mendoza opens up multiple doors to Raider Nation's future.

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.”

Round 2, pick 36: Austin Siereveld, OT, Ohio State A fierce competitor who loves to attack. He has an enormous upside, and many think he could move into the first round.

Scout’s Take: “Austin Siereveld checks a lot of boxes for the Cardinals because he brings dependability and power to a unit that’s in the midst of a rebuild limbo. Siereveld strikes first and strikes hard, gaining control of reps early and keeping rushers at arm’s length. Once he’s engaged, the line of scrimmage tends to stay exactly where he wants it.”

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

Round 4, pick 102: D'Angelo Ponds, CB, Indiana With three of the first four picks coming from the Indiana Hoosiers, the Raiders are making a point. They want fierce competitors who fight and battle, something this team desperately needs.

Scout’s Take: “He plays with disciplined technique and eager physicality, and he has a keen instinct for timing and eye discipline when playing the ball. Ponds’ athleticism is assuredly a strength — he’s ultra-explosive and twitched-up, and a 10.47 100-meter dash helps convey his speed — but it’s the soft skills and competitive disposition that help him play above his weight class week in and week out.”

Round 4, pick 117: Jake Golday, LB, Cincinnati Golday is the kind of player that week in and week out you put on the film, and even if you were just watching the game casually, he stands out every time. He is an old-school football player. He is a relentless player with an amazing motor.

Round 4, pick 134 Deven Eastern, DT, Minnesota The Raiders have youth along the defensive line, but you never have enough. Eastern could drop here, and not because of him; it would be relative to the number of bad drafting teams. He would be an easy pick here and a very wise one based on position and ranking.

Round 5, pick 174 Bud Clark, Safety, TCU An excellent playmaker, who is a ballhawk. He is reliable in open space, makes tackles, and is extremely athletic. He has enormous upside, but should contribute immediately on specials, as well as play normal defensive reps, and be ready to be a starter in year two.

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