The Las Vegas Raiders should be rebuilt in the shared vision of John Spytek, Tom Brady and new head coach Klint Kubiak during the 2026 NFL offseason. Fortunately, they will have plenty of avenues to improve their league-worst roster.
While it is unknown exactly what that shared vision is, having 10 picks in April's draft will help the Raiders get the bones of this rebuild in place and acquire young talent on cheap deals. Having $100 million to spend on the open market, however, will give Las Vegas plenty of veterans to choose from.
Once free agency has sorted itself out, Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza is all but certain to be taken off the board first in the 2026 NFL Draft by the Raiders. ESPN's Matt Miller, however, believes that drafting Miami EDGE Akheem Mesidor early in Round 2 would be a wise corresponding move.
Raiders land Miami DE Akheem Mesidor in ESPN 2-round mock draft
Miller released his post-Senior Bowl two-round mock draft on Monday, and he, of course, had Mendoza going No. 1 overall to Las Vegas. With the 36th pick, however, Miller had the Raiders flipping to the defensive side of the football, taking Mesidor to complement superstar Maxx Crosby.
"Mesidor's age (he turns 25 in April) might limit how high he can rise, but this value at the top of Round 2 would be too sweet to pass up," Miller wrote. "Mesidor projects as a true 4-3 defensive end who could disrupt offenses opposite Maxx Crosby."
Now, the Raiders' pass rush certainly needs a jolt. As a team, they finished 18th in the league in sacks during the 2025 NFL season, but if not for an 8-sack outing in the finale against a pair of Kansas City Chiefs backups, they'd have finished 30th. On a per-game basis, the unit barely showed up.
Crosby was the only player with 5.0 or more sacks last year, so adding Mesidor, who finished with an ACC-leading 12.5 sacks and 17.5 tackles for loss during his final collegiate season, would be a welcome addition to the defensive line room.
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That said, given the rumors circulating around Crosby's future in Las Vegas, Mesidor could end up being more of a replacement for Crosby than a complement. Fox Sports' Jay Glazer thinks that the Raiders could dish Crosby before the draft, which would certainly change the complexion here.
As Miller mentioned, Mesidor is an older prospect coming from the college ranks, so his upside may be limited. The flip side of that coin, however, is that he brings a wealth of experience and may be prepared for a big role immediately. He could, in theory, quickly fill part of Crosby's void if he is dealt.
Mesidor is an intense, aggressive edge rusher who can use both finesse and power to get to the quarterback. He's also stout against the run, which is one of Crosby's calling cards, and could help make Mesidor an every-down player in the NFL. He has a nose for the football and is highly intelligent.
But, obviously, he is not a perfect prospect. He doesn't have the desired size or length for a professional edge rusher, and he gets knocked off balance at times. However, Mesidor showed enough during his college career to give the Raiders confidence in his ability to translate to the NFL.