Las Vegas Raiders general manager John Spytek goes bold in the 2026 NFL Draft, targeting a flashy SEC wideout to electrify Fernando Mendoza’s receiving corps. Let’s have some fun with this mock scenario.
The Raiders are just days away from finally drafting their franchise quarterback. Unless there’s a shift of some kind, we all know who the No. 1 pick will be when the draft takes over Pittsburgh. However, the rest of the draft is where Spytek and Co. will need to earn their paychecks. Day 2 will be bountiful in terms of quality players that could make an instant impact.
Many people are claiming that this draft class lacks “stars,” but that doesn’t imply that there isn’t talent available. In reality, given the right circumstances, numerous young players from this draft could significantly impact the team’s success, potentially adding three to four more wins next season.
With that being said, Spytek can take advantage of another team’s aggressiveness, such as the Atlanta Falcons, and flip it to his advantage. Double-dipping in the second round and acquiring one of the SEC’s best wide receivers will do wonders for the team’s future quarterback. Well, let’s get to it.
Trade Alert
- Raiders receive: Round 2 48th pick
- Falcons receive: Round 3 No. 67, Round 4 No. 102
Raiders 3-Round Mock Draft: Day 2 movement
Round 1, No. 1: Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana
It’s going to be Mendoza; let’s just leave it at that. Unless the Indiana star has a setback or some sort of news developing, Spytek is going to get his signal-caller. With the quarterback in place, the real work will begin. Two major needs that the Raiders must address are picking up a wide receiver along with getting a presence in the interior of the defensive line.
It’s doable and let’s face it, Spytek knows he’s on the clock, figuratively and literally.
Round 2, No. 36: Caleb Banks, DL, Florida
At 6-foot-6 and 330 pounds, Banks brings a combination of first-step explosion and heavy hands that gives Las Vegas a legitimate interior disruptor. He is the kind of player who forces double teams and creates downstream opportunities for Maxx Crosby and the pass rush as a whole. His Senior Bowl performance validated what the tape suggested: the traits are real.
But traits and production are different currencies. Banks played in a system that rarely let him attack upfield; his pad level swells under contact, and a late-2024 foot injury clouds his immediate availability. His high center of gravity remains exploitable against the double team.
The projection here is a rotational interior rusher with starter upside, provided the coaching staff can do what Florida couldn’t: put him in positions to convert his physical gifts into consistent pressure.
Related: Looking at “Phase 2” of the Raiders offseason
Round 2, No. 48: Germie Bernard, WR, Alabama
At Alabama, Bernard did everything asked of him. He lined up inside and outside, blocked, ran reverses, caught screens, threw completions and ran the wildcat. That kind of mental flexibility and positional trust speaks directly to what Klint Kubiak values in a receiver room.
The concern is equally straightforward. Bernard does not own a single above-average trait. His route breaks lack sharpness, contested catch situations exposed his short arms, and his 4.48 speed does not translate into the vertical threat the number implies. Separation at the professional level, against better technicians, remains an open question.
What Bernard offers Las Vegas is a high-floor, low-ceiling complement who can absorb a role and execute it cleanly. For a receiver room still searching for an identity around Fernando Mendoza, that reliability has genuine value, even if it never becomes more than that.
*Top Photo: Getty Images