With six selections remaining on Day 3 of the 2026 NFL Draft, it is time for the Las Vegas Raiders' front office to roll up its sleeves and get to work. Fatigue kicks in for most as Rounds 4 through 7 drag on, but this is actually where most of the work is done, as over half of the picks happen on Saturday.
If the Raiders ever want to make up ground in an increasingly difficult AFC West landscape, they have to find some value in the later rounds. Fortunately, plenty of talent is still available for the Silver and Black; it's simply a matter of John Spytek and the personnel department identifying it.
The wide receiver spot has been under a microscope for months now, especially given how many of its pre-draft resources Las Vegas allocated toward meeting with players at the position. While several intriguing options came off the board on Day 2, North Dakota State's Bryce Lance is still out there.
And his skill set may be a perfect match with Fernando Mendoza's.
Las Vegas Raiders shouldn't pass on Bryce Lance if he's there at No. 102
Mendoza, even if he isn't penciled in as the starter right away, is the franchise quarterback, and every decision should be made with him in mind. In that same vein, many are arguing that the Raiders should reunite him with Elijah Sarratt, his Indiana wideout, to kick off Round 4. And that makes sense.
But familiarity isn't the only thing that is important. Yes, Mendoza and Sarratt's rapport would surely help them get off to a faster start at the NFL level. And, for what it's worth, I have absolutely nothing against Las Vegas taking Sarratt, especially considering his value now at the No. 102 pick.
That said, Lance is more of a big-bodied, ultra-athletic type, and he could more easily fill that "X" receiver role in the NFL. Oh, and his best asset as a pass-catcher is his ability to make contested grabs and use his sticky hands to haul in out-of-frame passes or readjust for back-shoulder throws.
Raider Nation knows that Mendoza made a killing in college, particularly at Indiana, making pinpoint throws on back-shoulders to his teammates and putting passes up in the air for contested catch opportunities.
Simply put, the 6-foot-3-plus, 204-pound wideout with over 32-inch arms and a downright elite athletic profile has a wide catch radius and could use that to connect with Mendoza on any number of funky-angled throws for the next decade.
Lance's ability to use his big body to shield defensive backs from catching the ball is such a quarterback-friendly trait. Combine that with great production (126 catches for 2,132 yards and 25 TDs last two years) and blistering 4.34 speed, and you have a very legitimate NFL wideout prospect.
He also doesn't get enough credit for footwork, strength and quickness in and out of breaks. He's got tough hands and good ball-tracking ability, and Lance is a willing participant in the run-blocking facet of being a wide receiver.
No, he didn't play the best competition in college, and Lance needs to get better against press coverage and with disguising his routes. But there is a lot more good than bad here, and Mendoza's propensity to make back-shoulder throws aligns perfectly with where Lance thrives.
Fans can just imagine the connection these two would have on money downs and in the red zone, when Mendoza is under pressure and needs his receiver to make a contested catch or read his mind and readjust for a back-shoulder throw. It's hard not to get excited about that possibility.
If Lance is on the board at No. 102, and there's only one pick on Saturday before the Raiders get on the clock, then the Silver and Black should turn in the card rather quickly. He or Sarratt would both be good choices, but something tells me that, long-term, Lance's skill set matches Mendoza's better.
And it's all about the quarterback.
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