The Las Vegas Raiders will kick off the 2026 NFL Draft after finishing just 3-14 and earning the No. 1 overall pick. It marks the first time that the Raiders will select first since 2007, and there isn't much mystery regarding what the front office will do.
It is widely assumed that they will use the pick to select a quarterback in the first round for the first time since that same 2007 NFL Draft. That means Fernando Mendoza will soon be in the Silver and Black, but it remains to be seen how the rest of their draft will play out.
Of course, what transpires in free agency will surely impact what direction they decide to go in April. Regardless of how things play out, the franchise was recently urged to trade back into the first round to add another piece to build around the 2025 Heisman Trophy winner.
Raiders advised to trade back into first round after selecting Fernando Mendoza
The Raiders have plenty of holes, and while some will be filled with their projected $100 million in cap space in free agency, there will still be plenty of work to do in the draft. John Spytek is projected to have nine other picks to work with after taking the franchise's quarterback of the future.
Bleacher Report's Gary Davenport suggested that Las Vegas move back into the first round to add another offensive piece around Mendoza.
"There's an argument for trading back into the latter portion of Round 1, if only because it means a second player on a rookie deal that includes a fifth-year option," Davenport suggested. "Players like Washington wide receiver Denzel Boston and Georgia tackle Monroe Freeling are fringe first-rounders who would likely be Day 1 starters for Las Vegas. And the cost to move up a handful of spots to select them shouldn't be prohibitively expensive."
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After selecting Mendoza, the Raiders will not be back on the clock until the No. 36 overall pick. The cost of trading back into the first round, however, would likely be their second-rounder and some combination of their seven Day 3 picks.
Packaging one or two of them with the No. 36 overall pick to land a pass-catching weapon or a blocker for Mendoza, while securing that player's fifth-year option, should not be out of the question. It is unlikely, however, that Spytek would part with a fourth- or fifth-rounder to move up.
A sixth- or seventh-round pick should not be out of the question, however, and both would be more than enough to move back into the first round, according to Over the Cap's Trade Calculator. Spytek certainly wants to build through the draft, but it should be noted that two of his four picks that came in the final two rounds of last year's draft are no longer on the roster.
If there is a player that Spytek feels can help the team, and particularly the rookie quarterback, it would not be a surprise to see him make a move. The extra year of team control, along with the opportunity to land a player he covets, would make a trade well worth it.