The Las Vegas Raiders appeared to be done making major moves in free agency, as they already spent plenty of money upgrading the roster. And while they did sign Kirk Cousins on Thursday, the franchise's attention has still largely turned to the draft, which will take place later this month.
Las Vegas holds 10 total picks in the event, including the No. 1 overall selection, which will still be Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza. And while the roster is currently in a much better place than it was to end the 2025 season, several holes still need to be addressed.
Second-year Raiders wide receiver Dont'e Thornton Jr. became the latest person to take a crack at predicting how the front office will approach the draft, and his four-round mock, if it came to fruition, would actually make the roster much better.
Dont'e Thornton Jr. improves the Las Vegas Raiders roster in his four-round mock draft
The Raiders' leadership tandem has made it clear that they plan to build through the draft. While they were active in free agency, as no team handed out more money in total guarantees, that plan was evident, as each of their big-ticket acquisitions was 27 years old or younger.
Nailing this year's draft will be pivotal to the franchise's long-term success, as they have seldom done so over the past several decades. Thornton Jr. recently appeared on the OLV Raiders Network, where he did a four-round mock draft exercise with host Graphk Raider.
He began with the obvious selection at No. 1, taking Mendoza, the 2025 Heisman Trophy winner, to serve as the quarterback of the future. There is hardly any surprise there, as every single mock draft has predicted that he will land in Las Vegas.
Thornton Jr.'s next selection brought competition for him and the wide receiver room, as he used the 36th overall pick to take Chris Brazzell II. The two were college teammates in 2024 at Tennessee and likely maintain a close relationship, so, once again, not much of a surprise.
Brazzell II, who is coming off a 1,000-yard season where he led the SEC in receiving touchdowns, would also fill a need, as he could provide a boost to a wide receiver room that lacks top-end talent and give the Raiders a potential true "X" wideout.
After landing a franchise quarterback and giving him an additional weapon, Thornton Jr. turned his attention to the other side of the ball. He used the Raiders' third-rounder to draft cornerback Keionte Scott, who filled up the stat sheet in his final college season and could be a steal in Round 3.
He doubled down on improving Las Vegas' struggling secondary with their first pick in the fourth round, as Thornton Jr. selected TCU safety Bud Clark. Clark was a ballhawk in college, recording 15 interceptions in his final four seasons.
Thornton Jr. then used pick No. 117 to select Michigan edge rusher Derrick Moore. The 2023 national champion, who posted double-digit sacks last season, would also be a steal, as most mock drafts have him coming off the board on Day 2.
His final fourth-round pick was used to find a running back to complement Ashton Jeanty, as he selected Kentucky's Seth McGowan. Now, McGowan has some off-the-field concerns that Las Vegas would need to thoroughly vet, but in terms of his talent, he'd help the Raiders' running back room.
Ultimately, Thornton Jr. was able to address most of Las Vegas' major needs in the first four rounds. While some may have preferred to see the offensive line bolstered, it appears that the front office may be comfortable with the young players they have.
Similarly, a nose tackle may not be as much of a priority as the defense will likely spend more time in a nickel formation.
Of course, the draft will never quite shake out how mock drafts project it will. If the Raiders were able to land multiple of the players selected by Thornton Jr., however, the team would be taking yet another major step in the right direction.