The Las Vegas Raiders have several decisions to make that will impact the future of the franchise. The first move should come sooner rather than later, as they are in the process of an extensive search to name their next head coach.
They will then need to rebuild the roster after a 3-14 season that resulted in Las Vegas landing the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Fortunately for Raiders fans, the front office is armed with plenty of draft capital and cap space to turn things around.
There have been plenty of ideas thrown around as to what approach Las Vegas should take, particularly when it comes to what the team should do with the first pick. While the consensus is that they will select Fernando Mendoza, one sportswriter believes they could use the pick to acquire a quarterback who has already proven they can succeed in the NFL.
NFL writer suggests that the Raiders trade the No. 1 overall pick for a superstar QB
The Raiders have not had the most success when drafting a quarterback in the first round. They have selected just five first-round quarterbacks in franchise history. Two of those selections came when the team was in the AFL and never played a snap for the team, as both joined the NFL. Their three first-round selections since the AFL-NFL merger were all busts, as each threw more interceptions than touchdowns.
While the fan base is set on selecting Mendoza first overall, ProFootballTalk.com's Mike Florio claimed they should move the pick for Lamar Jackson.
"Whatever the cost (and it’s unclear whether Jackson would have other suitors, given that no one called when he was available under the non-exclusive franchise tag three years ago), the Raiders arguably need to make a splash. Adding Jackson could lure other free agents to town. And it could go a long way toward getting current star players (Maxx Crosby and Brock Bowers) to stop wondering whether their skills are being wasted with a perennial basement dweller. The key to a possible Jackson trade, from the Raiders’ perspective, is minority owner Tom Brady. Although Brady managed (somehow) to avoid taking widespread public flak for the abject failure of the franchise in 2025, he’s now front and center. If 2026 goes like 2025, Brady’s leather-glove-and-expensive-watch ensemble will be finished off with a front-office dunce cap."
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Jackson would certainly give the Raiders something that they haven't had in quite some time, as he represents a proven superstar at quarterback. While the two-time MVP had an injury-riddled season in 2025, he remains one of the best signal callers in the entire NFL.
Still, swinging a trade for Jackson and paying him is not the right move for a Las Vegas squad that has plenty of holes and is not a quarterback away from contention. Instead, the front office would be wise to select Mendoza and attempt to build a roster around him while he is still on his rookie contract.
Committing premier draft capital, as well as absorbing Jackson's massive cap hit, would make it difficult to build a roster around him. The Raiders will hear many ideas thrown around this offseason, but they must stay the course and draft the 2025 Heisman Trophy winner.