
Until the 2026 NFL Draft arrives, we’ll keep repeating that the Las Vegas Raiders will select Fernando Mendoza with the No. 1 overall pick.
However, from that point forward, who knows what decisions the Raiders' front office will make, and with 10 picks at their disposal, general manager John Spytek can maneuver around the board. Despite spending the most money in the league during free agency, Las Vegas still has plenty of room for improvement in several spots on the roster.
The main objective for all 32 organizations is to develop a Super Bowl-caliber team, and that foundation is built through the draft. For the Raiders , the main objective this offseason is to make Mendoza as comfortable as possible. Hiring Klint Kubiak as the head coach and allowing Mendoza to initially sit and learn behind Kirk Cousins were the first steps in that process. The next is to surround the former Indiana quarterback with competitive weaponry.
Ashton Jeanty and Brock Bowers are terrific pieces to that equation, but the Raiders need to add a bona fide go-to receiver on the outside. Here are three wideouts Las Vegas can target in the second round, or earlier if they decide to move up the board.
In terms of familiarity and making Mendoza's transition to the NFL as seamless as possible, adding a receiver with whom he has had rapport would go a long way. Additionally, Cooper Jr. was elite last season en route to winning the national championship, compiling 69 receptions for 937 yards and 13 touchdowns.
Throughout the pre-draft process, Cooper Jr.'s stock has steadily risen, propelling him as a mid-late first-round pick, which would require Las Vegas to trade up.
The Texas A&M product is another receiver prospect who could sneak into the latter portion of the first round. However, the 5-foot-11, 196-pound wideout could sneak into the second round.
Concepcion can operate at all three levels of the field, and his burst and acceleration after the catch would be a perfect complement to Mendoza, who possesses elite ball placement.
Boston is a difficult prospect to evaluate, as he has all the physical traits to develop into a star at the next level. At 6-foot-3 and 212 pounds, the Washington product can prove to be one of the biggest values in this year's class.
However, speed and creating separation are two concerns for Boston heading into the draft. Speed is not the end-all, be-all for receivers, as Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Puka Nacua, and Davante Adams are just a few examples of players who do not possess top-end speed. However, route-running is monumental for production and success. Regardless, if the Raiders want a Courtland Sutton-type of presence on 50/50 balls and in the red zone, then Boston makes a ton of sense.
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