Two weeks from today, the 2026 NFL draft will be wrapping up and we’ll be talking about a bunch of new players on the Las Vegas Raiders’ roster. We’re in crunch time for draft season and don’t have much time to waste, so let’s get to this week’s mailbag!
Q: I think we’re in for a big surprise in thinking that the Raiders are not going to go all-in on getting Fernando Mendoza some weapons this year. Where do you take a wide receiver, and what wide receivers are the best fit for Klint Kubiak’s offense?
I like Germie Bernard due to his footwork and catching ability.
A: As someone who doesn’t think Las Vegas’ need for a wide receiver is that significant, I definitely agree with you that the position could be a bigger priority for Kubiak and Co. The team has met with so many receivers that they’re either doing a great job of throwing people off their scent with what positions they’re prioritizing in the draft, or it’s a “where there’s smoke, there’s fire” situation. I’m leaning toward the latter despite my personal preferences.
As far as fits with Kubiak, Omar Cooper Jr. and KC Concepcion are the coach’s type of receiver with their versatility to win in the slot or outside and YAC ability. I have a hard time seeing those two fall out of the first-round, but if either of them do, I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s the pick at 36.
On Day 2 or later, I 100 percent agree with you on Bernard, since he fits that same mold. If that’s who John Spytek and Kubiak want to target, I’d like to see them trade back into the 50s or see if Bernard slips to round three than take him at the top of the second. The latter is probably more wishful thinking, but the former seems realistic and could be a good strategy to add another Top 100 pick and address nose tackle or safety with it.
A sleeper name I’ll throw out there is Skyler Bell from UConn. Marcus Johnson recently did a “Tape Don’t Lie” breakdown on Bell, and he fits the Kubiak profile pretty well. I also could see Oklahoma’s Deion Burks be a mid-round target.
Q: Is number 36 a reach for Zachariah Branch?
A: Branch is another guy who could fit with Kubiak given his YAC ability. But my concern with Branch is that he has a pretty limited route tree. Georgia primarily used him on screens, accounting for 42 of his 78 targets last season, per SumerSports. So, he’d be a reach and is more of a third- or fourth-round target, in my opinion.
Q: The last two Super Bowls were won on the defensive side of the ball (predominantly DL). I believe the Raiders will draft a DT at 36. The Raiders also need to draft a CB & safety on that side of the ball, but nobody is talking about selecting a safety. What safeties fall to 67 & who do you take?
A: If you’re looking for more safety content, I’ve done breakdowns on Dillon Thieneman, A.J. Haulcy, Kamari Ramsey, Bud Clark, Zakee Wheatley and will have a one coming on Genesis Smith soon. I’ve also ranked my top five free safety options in the draft and did a ‘Plans A, B and C’ piece on it. So, I’m at least talking about the position!
I’d like it if Haulcy slides to 67, but I think he’s going to come off the board in the second round. Clark is the guy I have my eye on for that pick. He’s “my guy” at the position, and would add the much needed ballhawk to Las Vegas’ secondary.
Q: Christen Miller at #36, or Big Citrus/Gracen Halton (not as an NT obviously) at #67 for the Raiders?
A: Halton is the first guy I’m going to eliminate here because I think he’s more of a role player in the NFL and should be fourth-round target rather than a third. He’ll probably get drafted higher than that because other people seem to like Halton more than I do, but if I’m calling the shots, he’s not the flavor of defensive tackle that I like with a top 100 pick.
So, it comes down to Miller at 36 or Domonique Orange at 67. I think the latter has more “value” because the 60s to 70s seems to be Orange’s draft range, while Miller is closer to the 40s or 50s, in my opinion. However, I lean toward Miller in this scenario, with the caveat being that Kayden McDonald and Lee Hunter are off the board.
I like McDonald and Hunter better as true nose tackles compared to Miller, but would be perfectly fine with the latter at 36 if the first two aren’t available. I’d hope the Raiders could trade back and still get the former Bulldog, but I’d understand if Spytek didn’t want to take the risk after watching two nose tackles come off the board in the first 35 selections. In my opinion, Miller wouldn’t be more of a “reach” at 36 but more of a “stretch”.
Q: The Raiders almost traded Maxx Crosby. Malcolm Koonce is on another prove-it contract. Kwity Paye is a good run defender who can chip in with some pass rush here and there, but mostly a clean-up guy. Who is the day 3 guy that you could see stepping in on third down for the Raiders on the edge after a year of development?
A: Jaishawn Barham from Michigan is the first guy that comes to mind. Barham didn’t start playing on the edge full-time until about Week 3 of this past season, primarily lining up as an off-ball linebacker at Maryland and Michigan. His athleticism really stands out on tape and it’s clear he has some pass-rush potential, but he’s still working on how to be effective with his hands. That can be chalked up to having limited experience at the position, making Barham a perfect candidate for what you’re asking about. Granted, he’s been getting some buzz lately and might not make it to Day 3.
Another guy to keep tabs on is Joshua Josephs out of Tennessee. He isn’t getting talked about much, but I like what he brings to the table as a pass-rusher in the third- to fourth-round category. That being said, Josephs’ biggest issues are against the run, so I guess he technically wouldn’t fall into the developmental category as a pass-rusher specifically.
One more name for you, and I think he has the best chance to be available on Day 3 of the guys I have here, USC’s Anthony Lucas. At 6-foot-5.5, 256 pounds with 33.5-inch arms and showing plenty of athleticism on tape, Lucas has all the traits you’re looking for in a developmental edge defender. However, he only had three sacks in college and two of them came against Georgia Southern, so he definitely has work to do to be more productive.
Q: ESPN’s Bill Barnwell said the Eagles need to trade for Maxx Crosby. He proposed trading the Eagles’ first-round pick this year, along with Nolan Smith and a 3rd round pick next year. Would you make that deal?
A: People aren’t going to like this, but I’d probably take that deal.
It gives the Raiders another first-round pick to get another starter while also adding a young, starting-caliber edge to replace Crosby long-term. Smith was a first-round pick in 2023, so the Raiders could pick up his fifth-year option and have two seasons to decide if he’s worth giving a big contract extension to. Plus, another top 100 pick next year is a valuable asset for a rebuilding team.
That’s not quite the same as two first-rounders, but one first, a former first-rounder and a third might be the best deal Las Vegas can get for Crosby at this point.
Q: If Caleb Rodgers and Charles Grant show something in the next 2 weeks, the Raiders will go d-line or cornerback with the 2nd round pick…I like Lee Hunter a lot for the d-line…what say you?
A: The next two weeks aren’t going to change anything, especially for offensive linemen. This time of year is really just workouts and installing the basics of the playbook, and the pads don’t come on until training camp.
That being said, I do agree with your overall point that the Raiders are more likely to go with a defensive player than an offensive lineman at 36. It seems like the team’s brass is comfortable letting the linemen they already have on the roster battle it out for starting spots during camp.
I also agree with you on Hunter, as he’s one of the guys I have circled as a top option in the second round. That’d give the defense its starting nose tackle. At cornerback, if Avieon Terrell doesn’t come off the board on Thursday, he’s someone to keep tabs on for Friday. I’d also keep an eye on Brandon Cisse, Chris Johnson and D’Angelo Ponds.
A: Terrell and Johnson are the only two corners who I think will realistically be avialable at 36 and I’d consider over Hunter. Barring Thieneman or Emmanuel McNeil-Warren surprisingly falling out of the first-round, there’s a gap in the safety class that makes the position hard to see at 36. Same with wide receiver. So, for the most part, I can agree with you on having Hunter and Miller rated higher than the skill guys.
As far as Miller vesus Hunter, I’m going with the guy I know will be a starter; Hunter. Circling back to what I mentioned about the offensive line, the Raiders seem content to let DJ Glaze and Charles Grant battle it out for the starting right tackle job. In my opinion, the way to approach that position was to add someone in free agency rather than throwing another young guy into the mix. Obivously, that didn’t happen, though.
At this point, it wouldn’t surprise me if Las Vegas doesn’t draft an offensive lineman until Day 3. They don’t seem to be that interested in this year’s class, and Spytek appears to be banking on his pre-draft evals of Rogers and Grant, counting on them to develop into starters. Also, I could see Miller being a first-round pick and this being a moot point, anyway. LOL!
Q: Realistically, who should the Raiders move back into the 1st round for? And I’m thinking picks 27 – 32.
A: This is a popular question as it was asked a few times this week and has been brought up in the past. I dove into this a little deeper a couple of weeks ago (link), and Thieneman is the guy I’m going to be monitoring on Thursday night. If he slides into the 20s, Spytek should start working the phones. Kayden McDonald is another guy I’d consider trading back into that range for.
Barring a surprise slide, there aren’t many prospects I’d pound the table to trade up for, though. If I had to guess, trading back from 36 seems like a more realistic option.
A: For me, Matt Ryan is the best comparison for Fernando Mendoza. Size-wise, they measure up pretty well with Ryan at 6-foot-5, 228 pounds and Mendoza being 6-foot-5, 236 pounds. Both are pocket passers who have good processing and read the defense well, and both have good but not great arm strength. Mendoza is a little more mobile than Ryan was, but that’s not a big enough part of the Heisman Trophy winner’s game for me to move off that comp.
I ranked Mendoza against the 2024 and 2025 quarterback classes a few months ago, and had him third behind Drake Maye and Caleb Williams, and ahead of Jayden Daniels. Unfortunately, I don’t have a ranking for the last eight years, but I’d put Mendoza in the same category/caliber as C.J. Stroud, if that helps.
A: The biggest reason offensive tackles get convereted to guards is because they don’t have the feet or arm length to be effective in pass protection in the NFL. You’re 100 percent correct in that it’s not as simple as a bad tackle will make a comptent guard. For me, that tackle has to be a good run blocker and have a strong base as a pass blocker to successfully switch positions.
There has to be a reason I want to keep that player on the field, and if he brings something to the running game but struggles to hold down the edge in pass protection, then let’s give him a shot at guard. But if I’m seeing a tackle who struggles to move defensive linemen when run blocking and can’t or I don’t trust to anchor against bull rushers, then that’s just a bad player and it’s time to move on or draft someone else.
At a high level, the criteria for tackles to convert to guards is that they’re lacking some athleticism to hold down in the edge in pass protection but have the brut strength to handle the physicality of the trenches.
When it comes to Glaze, he has the length with nearly 35-inch arms and has the body type of a tackle at 6-foot-5, 315 pounds. So, I understand why the coaching staff and front office want to give him one more chance at the position because he fits the physical profile pretty well. However, my concern with Glaze has always been his foot speed and change of direction, and I thought he’d make a better guard because of that. For the most part, he’s been a decent run blocker, it’s his pass pro that needs more work to hold down the edge.
Meanwhile, Grant is the opposite and I’d be pretty surprised if he plays anywhere other than tackle. His athleticism really stood out to me on tape (his testing numbers were surprisingly underwhelming, though) and I don’t think he’ll have many issues staying in front of speedy pass-rushers. However, Grant’s anchor is one of my concerns about his game. So if it doesn’t work out at tackle for him, I don’t see him having a career at guard.
A: It’s a mental illness and one I hope they never find a cure for. LOL! I’ve always loved the draft and diving into the upcoming crop of NFL players’ games to see who is next up in the league. I couldn’t tell you exactly why I find it so fascinating, but I like to joke that it’s because my formative years as a Raiders fan were in the 2000s and right after the Super Bowl run. So, September through January sucked for the better part of the last quarter century, but come the offseason and specifically in April, I had hope!
Even if I wasn’t doing this for a living, I’d still be spending a good portion of my free time diving into the next wave of draft prospects. I definitely wouldn’t be going as deep in the class as I do, but I’d at least want to know about the Top 100 guys. Again, it’s a sickness and one I’m well aware of but have no intetions of fixing!
That’ll do it for this week’s mailbag. Thank you all for submitting questions and, as your weekly reminder, if you’d like to have your questions answered in a future column, tweet them at me, @MHolder95, email them to SBPQuestions1@gmail.com or look for our weekly call for questions on the site. The latter will continue to publish on Thursdays.
