The 2026 NFL Draft will really start with the No. 2 overall pick, with the Las Vegas Raiders taking Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza No. 1 overall regarded as a lock. So the focus has shifted to what the Raiders will do to support Mendoza and fill other needs with their remaining draft picks.
The wide receiver depth chart for the Raiders feels fairly full, but there are question marks and a lot of physical profile/skill set overlap. So an addition is likely to come in the draft, it's just a matter of when and who. There's a case for trading up if they like any particular wide receiver enough, but a deep class at the position will offer plenty of opportunities to add someone of note.
With fit in dynasty formats in mind, Pro Football Focus fantasy football analyst Nathan Jahnke has matched some incoming rookie wide receivers with teams. Any one of them could have been matched with the Raiders, but Jahnke chose Chris Bell out of the University of Louisville.
"The Raiders have one of the least experienced wide receiver rooms in the league. Jalen Nailor and Tre Tucker currently sit atop the depth chart, and they have combined for just two 100-yard games across seven seasons. Las Vegas is unlikely to address the position in the first round after selecting Fernando Mendoza, and Bell offers as much upside as any second-round wide receiver to develop into a team’s top option."
Chris Bell seems to align nicely with Raiders' Fernando Mendoza timeline
Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak has been open about not necessarly wanting a rookie quarterback to start immediately, and that base has been covered with the signing of Kirk Cousins. Mendoza will almost surely play quite a bit as a rookie, but it's moving toward unlikely he starts games early in the season.
Bell had a productive final college season, with 72 catches for 917 yards and six touchdowns on his way to earning First Team All-ACC honors. But he suffered a torn ACL late in the season, which lines up his rookie season to pretty much be a redshirt year for whatever team drafts him. He should be able to practice before his rookie season is over, but suiting up for games wouldn't be guaranteed.
The Raiders in a position where they can draft Bell and effectively redshirt him as a rookie. And if they aren't going to rush Mendoza into action, to whatever extent that ends up going to, the two could start building important rapport in practice before playing in any games together.
When it comes down to it, with the potential to become the team's WR1 in mind, the Raiders are a nice fit for Bell as he works his way back from injury. Time will tell if the Raiders see him the same way some time (likely) on Day 2 of the draft.
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