The Las Vegas Raiders sit at 2-7 after a brutal first half of the 2025 NFL season. The team has continuously found ways to lose and appear destined to land a top-ten pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, perhaps even within the top five or three.
Las Vegas' roster is lacking in talent, as the franchise has needs at nearly every position. Most fans would love to see the team finally address the quarterback position, as the Raiders have not selected a signal caller in the first round since 2007, when they drafted JaMarcus Russell first overall.
That may not be a possibility in this draft, however, as there aren't expected to be many options available that are worthy of a top-ten pick. A recent mock draft projected that Las Vegas should pivot to address a major need in the secondary.
Raiders projected to land LSU cornerback in the latest mock draft
The Raiders' defense has had an up-and-down season, with games where the unit has looked elite and others where it has struggled to stop opponents. It is clear that the secondary needs upgrades, as Kyu Blu Kelly and Isaiah Pola-Mao have both had rough campaigns, even if they've improved lately.
Bleacher Report's NFL Draft Scouting Department projected that Las Vegas will land LSU Tigers star cornerback Mansoor Delane in the upcoming draft.
"Mansoor Delane has benefited greatly based on his transfer from Virginia Tech to LSU. He was viewed as a potential first-round pick a year ago, but the move has brought out the best in him, to the point where he worked his way into top-10 consideration as the 2026 class' CB1," Bleacher Report wrote. "His 36 forced incompletion percentage leads all SEC cornerbacks, according to PFSN's Cam Mellor. He can be the piece the Las Vegas Raiders drastically need (aside from a young up-and-coming franchise quarterback)."
Delane would provide the Raiders with a significant upgrade over Kelly. Along with Eric Stokes and promising rookie Darien Porter, Las Vegas would seemingly have three cornerbacks capable of playing at a high level.
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The senior has been the best cornerback in college football this season and appears in line to be an All-American. He has consistently performed at a high level, dating back to 2022 when he was a true freshman with the Virginia Tech Hokies.
In his four-year career, he has recorded 179 total tackles, including 7 for a loss, 7 interceptions, 4 forced fumbles, 1 fumble recovery, and 23 passes defended. Delane, who continues to skyrocket up draft boards, has shown an ability to thrive in all coverages and would bring an immediate impact to the Raiders' secondary.
While Las Vegas has bigger needs than cornerback, the front office would be wise to target the best player available if they are unable to land a game-changing quarterback. The Raiders have followed that strategy the past two years, and it has worked out much better than their previous strategy of reaching to fill needs.
Delane is not quite Pete Carroll's ideal size, as his arm length is just 30 inches. The Raiders' head coach prefers defensive backs with 32-inch arms, but that caveat did not deter him from taking Devon Weatherspoon, so it should not prevent him from selecting this potentially game-changing player if he is available.