The Las Vegas Raiders are destined to select a quarterback in the 2026 NFL Draft. With no feasible solutions on the current roster and the No. 1 pick in their hands, the stars are completely aligned for Indiana's Fernando Mendoza or Oregon's Dante Moore to become a Raider this coming April.
But what if they go a different direction? General manager John Spytek loves his picks, and he recently said that Las Vegas needs to undergo a multi-year rebuild. Trading back from the top spot could be fruitful in that effort, as the more darts he has to throw at the board in the draft, the better.
Here's our attempt at a three-round mock draft in which the Raiders trade back from the No. 1 spot and miss out on the two premier signal-callers in the first round. Don't worry, Las Vegas may have still landed its quarterback of the future in this exercise.
Raiders' 3-round mock draft after passing on Day 1 quarterback
Round 1, Pick No. 3: Arvell Reese, LB, Ohio State
Trading with the Arizona Cardinals back to the No. 3 pick was bold, but the Raiders picked up a 2027 first-rounder in the process. Still with one of the draft's premier picks, Las Vegas selects a game-changing defender in Ohio State's Arvell Reese, who pushes the boundary of positional delineation.
Jihaad Campbell is a great comp for Reese, as he can function as a sideline-to-sideline linebacker against the run, but he is also solid in pass coverage and would provide some serious pass-rush juice. His versatility makes him a headache for opponents, so he could be a marquee piece in Las Vegas.
Round 2, Pick No. 34: Caleb Lomu, OT, Utah
Lomu was a stalwart at left tackle for the Utes the last two seasons, but he could easily be a placeholder at right tackle while he eventually waits to take the mantle from Kolton Miller. The Raiders need all the talent that they can get up front, and Lomu is a fluid and intelligent athlete.
At 6-foot-6 and 308 pounds, he's not a giant at the tackle position, but he possesses the proper size to thrive in the NFL. He could improve as a run-blocker, but for a player who has a similar draft grade coming out of college to Tyler Guyton, fans would have a lot to be hopeful about if they landed Lomu.
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Round 2, Pick No. 36: Ty Simpson, QB, Alabama
Alas, the Raiders land their franchise quarterback. Yes, Simpson is a bit young and inexperienced, and his play certainly tapered off near the end of the year. But just a month or two ago, Simpson was in the conversation for the No. 1 overall pick, and his talent didn't just vanish.
Despite some believing that he should return to school, Simpson is indeed declaring for the draft, which should leave fans to believe that he received positive feedback from NFL scouts. Some have even compared him to Tony Romo, so Las Vegas could do far, far worse in the second round.
Round 3, Pick No. 37: Chris Brazzell II, WR, Tennessee
Brazzell is not the most polished receiver at this point, but he may have the most upside of any pass-catcher in this draft. At 6-foot-5 and 200 pounds with great speed and solid separation ability at the line of scrimmage, Brazzell projects to be a true X receiver at the NFL level.
He could certainly get a bit stronger, savvier and more fluid, but think of him as a Martavis Bryant-type, who some have compared him to. Brazzell played at Tennessee with Dont'e Thornton Jr. last season, and this year, he caught 62 passes for 1,017 yards and an SEC-leading nine touchdowns.