The Las Vegas Raiders aren't trying to hide who they're taking with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. They met with former Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza at the combine and will host him on a 30 visit, and they aren't even kicking the tires on anyone else set to be picked in that range.
So the intrigue for Raider Nation then becomes what direction John Spytek and Klint Kubiak plan to go at No. 36. It seems unlikely that they would trade back up into Round 1, and it would be very much like Spytek to trade back in that range to acquire more picks. But let's say they stay put in Round 2.
Las Vegas, despite having a strong offseason thus far, still has plenty of holes to address, and the "best player available" should also fit a need. But it's hard to ignore the fact that the Raiders have been meeting with a crew of wide receiver prospects who should be available at No. 36.
Raiders are meeting with almost every WR who could available at No. 36
Fans knew that the Raiders met with Texas A&M wide receiver KC Concepcion at the NFL combine, and recently hosted Washington wide receiver Denzel Boston on a 30 visit. Things were already trending in the direction of a potential pass-catcher selection early on Day 2 of April's draft.
Then Ryan Fowler reported that Las Vegas was also hosting Concepcion on a 30 visit, indicating significant interest in him. The California Post's Vincent Bonsignore also went to Alabama Pro Day on Wednesday, and he reported that wide receiver Germie Bernard, too, had a 30 visit with the Raiders.
That's three wide receivers with late-first and early-second round grades that Las Vegas is hosting on 30 visits. While no decisions have been made yet, nor can they be, it is a fairly clear indication that, at the very least, they are doing their homework on the position because they see it as a major need.
It should be noted that the Raiders also had a 30 visit with defensive tackle Kayden McDonald, and they met with defensive tackle Lee Hunter, linebacker Jake Golday and cornerbacks Brandon Cisse and D'Angelo Ponds at the NFL combine. Those options, and others, are firmly on the table at No. 36.
When looking at trends, though, it is hard to ignore that, after free agency, Las Vegas has started to delve more into the wide receiver prospect market. They don't currently have a No. 1 wideout on the roster, and theoretically, any of the aforementioned three players could fill that void.
Boston is the biggest target of the three, and the most prototypical "X" wide receiver. But he is probably the least likely to fall to No. 36. Concepcion is also incredibly talented and helps out on special teams, much like Klint Kubiak-favorite Rashid Shaheed. But he may fall due to an injury.
In fairness to Concepcion, it seems like the operation he underwent was fairly minor, as NFL Network's Mike Garafolo posted videos of him running at full speed shortly after. Either way, he is a legitimate option for the Raiders, seeing as he has met with them twice now.
Bernard may be the one considered a reach at No. 36, but the Las Vegas native is incredibly talented and absolutely an option if the Raiders trade back in Round 2. Perhaps even if they stay put, and the draft board falls a certain way. Las Vegas could even trade back into Round 1! Who knows?
No matter how you slice it, the Silver and Black are scouring the draft for an upgrade at wide receiver. They've met with some mid-to-late round prospects as well, but they seem to be targeting a cluster of players at the position who'll be on the board around the time they're making their second pick.