The Las Vegas Raiders drafting Fernando Mendoza in April's draft will be a big piece of turning the franchise around. But it's not the entire pie. The Raiders still have work to do throughout their roster, and they'll need to maximize the abundant resources they have in both free agency and the draft.
Spending big on the open market to improve the offensive line, in particular, has been a common thought among the fanbase. But we chose instead to have the Raiders build through the trenches and keep Mendoza upright on Days 2 and 3 of our latest 7-round 2026 NFL mock draft.
Raiders build OL around Fernando Mendoza in 7-round 2026 mock draft
Round 1, Pick No. 1: Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana
Mendoza finally declared for the draft on Friday, so this pick can pretty much be written in Sharpie. After the playoff run that Mendoza put together, he became an absolute no-brainer for the top selection. The Raiders may have finally lucked into their long-awaited franchise quarterback.
Round 2, Pick No. 36: Emmanuel Pregnon, G, Oregon
Pregnon would easily be a Day 1 contributor in Las Vegas, as his size, experience and pure ability will all help him thrive at the next level. He decided to go back to school last year after initially declaring for the 2025 draft, and he made the most of that time. Pregnon improved in every facet of the game, posting career-high overall grades, and he was only penalized one time all season.
Round 3, Pick No. 67: Jake Slaughter, C, Florida
Slaughter is a big center who could fortify Las Vegas' interior offensive line alongside Pregnon and Jackson Powers-Johnson. A fluid and smart player, Slaughter will need to clean up his penalty issues a bit in the NFL, but he anchors well as a pass-blocker and can move people in the run game. He may be a minor project, but he has the upside to be a long-time starter.
Round 4, Pick No. 102: Malachi Fields, WR, Notre Dame
Fields is a player whom we can't stop selecting in our mock drafts. Rarely is a player with true "X" wide receiver ability available this late in the event, but at 6-foot-4 and 222 pounds with solid production in college, Fields has all the upside in the world. His catch radius is massive, and he has sufficient speed. If he can get a bit quicker off the line and deal with press coverage better, he'll be an absolute steal.
Round 4, Pick No. 117: Tim Keenan III, DT, Alabama
Keenan's production may not blow anyone away, but he is a versatile interior defensive line piece, and he has no issue eating up blocks so his teammates can thrive. He made several big plays for Alabama during the College Football Playoff, and he is as high-character as they come. Keenan doesn't have much pass-rush juice, which may limit his every-down ability, but he's a great run defender.
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Round 4, Pick No. 134: Mike Washington Jr., RB, Arkansas
The Raiders desperately need to find a complementary piece to Ashton Jeanty, preferably a bigger and more bruising running back. Enter Mike Washington Jr. At 6-foot-2 and 228 pounds, Washington punched in 16 touchdowns in his final two college seasons, and he really grew as a receiver in his final campaign in the SEC. He'll need to grow as a pass-blocker, but Washington is worth a Day 3 swing.
Round 5, Pick No. 174: Kage Casey, OT, Boise State
Speaking of Jeanty, Casey spent three years as his teammate at Boise State. With the depth of the offensive tackle position in Las Vegas very much in question, the Raiders could take a flyer on Casey, a two-time All-Mountain West player. A few rough games at the end of the year hurt his draft stock a little bit, but he's a clean player with good hands and strength. He just has a handful of very bad reps.
Round 6, Pick No. 181: Domani Jackson, CB, Alabama
Jackson is a big and physical corner who can thrive in both press man coverage and while sitting in zone. He's a smart player on the back end and a willing tackler with good instincts, but Jackson gets careless at times with his reads and his hands. Just as he sniffs things out, he gets fooled at times, and Jackson was penalized four times this season. He did clean things up by the end, however.
Round 6, Pick No. 184: Bud Clark, TCU
Clark is a big and experienced safety who had incredible production and flashed his ball skills at TCU. He recorded at least three interceptions in each of the last four years, while adding 21 pass breakups. It took him years to get on the field in college, and it may be the same in the NFL. Clark misses a lot of tackles and gambles too much in coverage at times, as he gave up four touchdowns last year.
Round 7, Pick No. 219: Sawyer Robertson, QB, Baylor
Robertson is a gun-slinger at 6-foot-4 and 220 pounds, as he led the Big 12 in attempts, completions, yards and touchdowns. But he also threw 12 interceptions. Robertson could be a very good backup in the NFL, just like his cousin Jarrett Stidham, a former Raider and current Denver Broncos quarterback. Robertson just needs the right coach to rein him in a bit. The talent is there, though.