The Las Vegas Raiders hope they just completed a draft that will turn the fortunes of the organization.
That started with the selection of Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza with the top pick.
General manager John Spytek added nine additional selections over the course of three days, bolstering the defensive backfield and adding speed on offense.
He and the Raiders got mostly positive reviews for their decisions.
Here is a look at what other national publications are grading the Raiders’ draft:
USA Today: A
Analysis: “It didn’t take a genius to pick QB Fernando Mendoza No. 1 overall (sorry, Spytek), but he will obviously define this draft through his ability to lift – or not – this long-suffering franchise out of a decades-long quagmire. But getting players like DB Treydan Stukes (second round), CB Jermod McCoy (fourth) and RB Mike Washington Jr. (fifth) is quite the needed talent infusion – the gamble on McCoy and his highly scrutinized knee atop Round 4 a calculated risk with too much upside to bypass. It’s almost like getting the extra first-round pick the Silver and Black sought earlier this year while getting to keep DE Maxx Crosby.”
Fox Sports: A
Analysis: “Armed with the No. 1 overall selection and making 10 total picks, GM John Spytek was well-positioned to turn over the roster in his and head coach Klint Kubiak’s vision. But talking about it and doing it are far different things, and I love how this draft unfolded for the Raiders — starting off, of course, with Fernando Mendoza, an ideal schematic and personality match for Las Vegas…The Raiders desperately needed a roster rebuild and this draft class — one of my very favorites — was a wonderful start.”
WalterFootball: C-
Analysis: “Charlie Campbell said it best on Twitter when he opined that the Raiders’ current regime doesn’t know how to draft. He correctly pointed out that the Raiders constantly reached and neglected Mendoza. This is the opposite of what they needed to do in the 2026 NFL Draft. The Raiders have an atrocious group of receivers, yet they only addressed the position at No. 195, which could really hurt Mendoza’s development. Only one offensive lineman was acquired prior to Round 7. This was irresponsible drafting. It wasn’t all bad for the Raiders. Keyron Crawford should be a quality edge rusher, while Jermod McCoy might be a steal. Plus, Mendoza must be factored into the equation. However, this draft, as a whole, was a huge disappointment, and Mendoza should feel very discouraged with what happened after the first round.”
Yahoo!: B
Analysis: “Las Vegas potentially found a handful of core, long-term players here in the 2026 draft. Fernando Mendoza is a real deal franchise quarterback talent and they took a very sensible swing on the ultra-talented Jermod McCoy in the fourth round. If McCoy’s knee holds up, he can very feasibly be the team’s future CB1 with the amount of upside and talent that he has. Taking the 25-year-old Treydan Stukes at the top of the second round is the only gamble that knocks this grade out of the ‘A’ range.”
They called running back Washington the Raiders’ “most interesting pick.”
Sharp Football Analysis: A
Analysis: “The Raiders added five players who could potentially be starters by the start of the 2027 season. And that doesn’t even include running back Mike Washington Jr, who has fascinating traits but is obviously blocked by Ashton Jeanty. In the end, however, all we’ll remember about this class is what happens to Mendoza, who has the tools to be a quality starter but a lower ceiling than the typical No. 1 overall pick.”
Warren Sharp called cornerback McCoy the best value pick the Raiders made and Mendoza the riskiest pick.
Nfl.com: A-
Analysis: “Mendoza was the best choice at the top of the draft because of his intelligence, accuracy, mobility and ability to make plays in clutch situations. The Raiders received a fourth-round pick from the Texans to move down just two spots in the second round to No. 38, where they selected Stukes, a versatile, physical defender with excellent speed. Time will tell if he’s a better player than smaller corners D’Angelo Ponds and Aveion Terrell, who were both available at the time. Crawford fits well in the Raiders’ new 3-4 scheme — especially after Vegas traded away Tyree Wilson — because of his physical style as a stand-up rusher. Tough-minded third-round pick Zuhn meets a huge need for help on the interior. The Raiders traded a 2027 seventh-round pick to move up one spot for McCoy, who will be a bargain cover corner if his knee holds up. Washington was a nice value as a speedy change-of-pace back for Ashton Jeanty, and Johnson is a smart, physical player who will likely eventually start at safety for the Raiders. They received fourth- and sixth-round picks from the Jaguars for receiver Jakobi Meyers in November and sent Wilson and a seventh-rounder to the Saints for a fifth-round pick (Johnson) during the draft.”
Contact Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AdamHillLVRJ on X.
