Once the Las Vegas Raiders make the selection of Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza with the first overall pick official, the next step is to continue to surround him with what he'll need to succeed in the NFL.
On the Wednesday, April 8 episode of The Mina Kimes Show, host Mina Kimes had fellow ESPN NFL analyst Ben Solak as a guest to talk about the top wide receiver, tight end and offensive line prospects in the 2026 NFL Draft.
When they got to Washington wide receiver Denzel Boston, whose grade is hovering between late Round 1 and early Round 2, Kimes started by saying she doesn't like how he's being characterized, as if he's inevitably headed for Keon Coleman-style bust territory.
Mina Kimes wants the Raiders to do whatever it takes to get Denzel Boston
Kimes then got to why she specifically wants the Raiders to draft Boston.
"I want the Las Vegas Raiders to trade back into the first round and get Fernando Mendoza the 'X' receiver he deserves," Kimes explained. "The best throw in Fernando Mendoza's arsenal is that beautiful back shoulder ball that's on the money. He needs a big-bodied receiver who catches everything. It's such a missing component right now in their offense. They've got a bunch of little guys."
Solak noted how the current group of Raiders' wide receivers (Tre Tucker, Jalen Nailor, Jack Bech and Dont'e Thornton Jr.) is "all Zs and slots." Boston (6-foot-4, 212 pounds) would be a welcome and truly much-needed differentiation in skill set compared to the rest of the group.
Boston spent his first two seasons at Washington stuck behind a trio of NFL draft picks (Rome Odunze, Ja'Lynn Polk, Jalen McMillan). But he got his opportunity to start in 2024, and topped 60 catches and 800 yards in each of his last two seasons with 20 combined touchdowns.
Lance Zierlein of NFL.com has gone all the way in with his comp for Boston: Los Angeles Rams star Puka Nacua. Similarly to Nacua when he was a draft prospect, Boston has speed and the ability to generate separation concerns that can be offset by what he does bring to the table.
Along that line, Zierlein cited a comment from an NFC scouting director.
“I don’t think speed concerns are valid. Anyway, you don’t have to be fast when you are as good as he is when guarded.”
As far as trading back up into the first round to get Boston goes, that may not be necessary. If the Raiders are eyeing taking him in the second round at No. 36 overall, and he is certainly among the potential options there, they could just let him fall into their laps if other teams stay away.
That said, Boston is edging into the first round of a lot of recent mock drafts. So if the board goes a certain way and he is the best player left on their board, the Raiders could be sufficiently motivated to trade up.
Let's run through a hypothetical trade up into the first round from No. 36 for the Raiders.
Let's say they want to move up to No. 28 overall, the first-rounder currently held by the Houston Texans. The trade value charts give that pick a value of 660 points. Pick 36 has a value of 540 points, leaving 120 points to equal the value (#math).
The Raiders currently have three fourth-round picks this year: No. 102, No. 117 and No. 134. No. 102 has a value of 92 points, No. 117 has a value of 60 points and No. 134 has a value of 39 points. So, picks 36, 102 and 134 would get it done, from a sheer value equation perspective.
To get what looks to be more of a sure thing 'X' receiver in this draft, and not wait for a late-round flier, is Boston worth trading up for? That's only for the Raiders to determine, if the opportunity is there.
But you can certainly talk yourself into doing so, the more you see and read about the Washington product. And the Raiders have certainly been doing their pre-draft due diligence on him.