The Urgency Behind Raiders' 2026 Draft Class

Raiders' 2026 Class

The Raiders' next draft class will be the next layer of the foundation of the Raiders' rebuild. Las Vegas has routinely assembled a roster that ranks near the bottom of the league in talent. It is an issue they have already been hard at work fixing this offseason. The draft is another chance to improve.

Las Vegas has already addressed many of its most significant needs, adding proven veteran experience at linebacker, wide receiver, and along its offensive line. The Raiders will soon address arguably the roster's single biggest weakness over the past several seasons.

Raiders' Challenge

Quarterback is the most critical position on the field, and Las Vegas has not had a quarterback play consistently well for many years. The addition of Fernando Mendoza should help alleviate that, but that will take time. The Raiders must continue building the roster while Mendoza develops.

The Raiders are all but sure to take Mendoza with the first overall pick in the draft, but that did not come without a thorough analysis from their scouting department. Even with a weak quarterback draft class and Mendoza as the best player in the draft, Las Vegas did its research.

"It's certainly challenging. Not a lot of college offenses look like NFL offenses right now, but I think you're looking beyond just what that can do. I mean, every scheme is a little bit different. Every system's a little bit different. So, there's always going to be things to learn,” Spytek said.

“So, are they smart? Can they process a lot of information quickly? Do they make good decisions with the football? Are they tough? Are they good teammates? Obviously, can they throw the ball at a level that's required to play quarterback in the NFL? Are they athletic? Can they improvise or do they have to play in the pocket all the time?"

“There's lots of things in the scouting world, scouting systems, that you can pick up on, but I think when you get a chance to spend time with them, like we have with a lot of players in this draft, you start to learn a little bit more about how they work, how they think, how they learn."

"We lean heavily on the coaches with that, with the meetings at the combine, in the building, Zooms that we're able to do, and usually the coaches have a pretty good feel."

The Raiders are banking on Mendoza not only performing well on the field but also believing he has the mental tools to succeed at the professional level. Still, he will not be the first or last highly touted collegiate quarterback to enter the league with high expectations; he must prove it on the field.

Along with Mendoza, Las Vegas must also secure multiple draft picks who can contribute sooner rather than later, especially given Mendoza's status as a bench starter behind Kirk Cousins. Time will tell how things work out, but the Raiders need a solid group of 2026 draftees.