Draft day is *almost* finally here. After months of film study and speculation, it is time to see what the Las Vegas Raiders, and the rest of the league, do with their picks.
To get ready for the draft, I put together a top 100 board based on what the Raiders should do with their selections. I used my personal top-150 board as a framework, then tailored it to Las Vegas’ unique needs and fits. The positional rankings are based on that same board.
I did something similar last year with a top 50, but this year the list is doubled in size. And just to be clear, this is not a predictive board. This is simply what I would do if I were somehow able to infiltrate the Raiders’ war room, which, sadly, I have not yet figured out how to pull off.
With that said, let’s start at the top of the class.
Top 25
| Rank | Name | School | Position (rank) | Grade |
| 1 | Fernando Mendoza | Indiana | QB (1) | Top 5 |
| 2 | Arvell Reese | Ohio State | LB/EDGE (2/3) | Top 10 |
| 3 | David Bailey | Texas Tech | EDGE(2) | Top 10 |
| 4 | Caleb Downs | Ohio State | S (1) | Top 10 |
| 5 | Sonny Styles | Ohio State | LB (1) | Top 5 |
| 6 | Mansoor Delane | LSU | CB (1) | Top 10 |
| 7 | Reuben Bain | Miami | EDGE (1) | Top 5 |
| 8 | Spencer Fano | Utah | OT (1) | Top 10 |
| 9 | Francis Mauigoa | Miami | OT (2) | Top 10 |
| 10 | Peter Woods | Clemson | DT (1) | Top 10 |
| 11 | Vega Ioane | Penn State | IOL (1) | 1st Rd |
| 12 | Jermod McCoy | Tennessee | CB (2) | Late 1st |
| 13 | Kayden Proctor | Alabama | OT (4) | 1st Rd |
| 14 | Dillon Thieneman | Oregon | S (2) | Late 1st |
| 15 | Kayden McDonald | Ohio State | DT (2) | Late 1st |
| 16 | Denzel Boston | Washington | WR (5) | Late 1st |
| 17 | TJ Parker | Clemson | EDGE (5) | 1st Rd |
| 18 | Colton Hood | Tennessee | CB (3) | Late 1st |
| 19 | Jordyn Tyson | Arizona State | WR (3) | Late 1st |
| 20 | Carnell Tate | Ohio State | WR (1) | 1st Rd |
| 21 | Max Iheanchor | Arizona State | OT (5) | Late 1st |
| 22 | D’Angelo Ponds | Indiana | CB (4) NB (2) | Early 2nd |
| 23 | Akheem Messidor | Miami | EDGE (6) | Early 2nd |
| 24 | Lee Hunter | Texas Tech | DT (3) | Early 2nd |
| 25 | Chris Brazzell | Tennessee | WR (7) | Early 2nd |
Thoughts
Of course, most of the players immediately behind Fernando Mendoza will be off the board long before the Raiders make their next pick at No. 36. That said, if one of the top prospects were to fall into the back end of the first round, Las Vegas does have the draft capital to move up and make a play.
There are also plenty of players in the 15-to-25 range who could realistically slide into the second round. Most notably, Ohio State defensive tackle Kayden McDonald has landed with the Raiders in a number of mock drafts, making him one of the more intriguing names to watch as the first round winds down.
Now let’s get into the meat of this class with the next 25.
Numbers 26-50
| Rank | Name | School | Position (rank) | Grade |
| 26 | Caleb Banks | Florida | DT (4) | Early 2nd |
| 27 | Omar Cooper Jr. | Indiana | WR (8) | Early 2nd |
| 28 | CJ Allen | Georgia | LB (3) | Early 2nd |
| 29 | Caleb Lomu | Utah | OT (3) | 1st Rd |
| 30 | Keldric Faulk | Auburn | EDGE (4) | 1st Rd |
| 31 | Zion Young | Missouri | EDGE (7) | Early 2nd |
| 32 | Gennings Dunker | Iowa | IOL (2) | 2nd |
| 33 | Ted Hurst | Georgia State | WR (9) | Early 2nd |
| 34 | Keith Abney II | Arizona State | CB (6) | 2nd |
| 35 | Chris Johnson | San Diego State | CB (5) | 2nd |
| 36 | Emmanuel McNeil-Warren | Toledo | S (3) | Late 2nd |
| 37 | Makai Lemon | USC | WR (2) | Late 1st |
| 38 | KC Concepcion | Texas A&M | WR (4) | Late 1st |
| 39 | Elijah Sarratt | Indiana | WR (6) | Early 2nd |
| 40 | Monroe Freeling | Georgia | OT (6) | Early 2nd |
| 41 | Joshua Josephs | Tennessee | EDGE (8) | 2nd |
| 42 | Cashius Howell | Texas A&M | EDGE (9) | 2nd |
| 43 | Anthony Hill Jr. | Texas | LB (4) | 2nd |
| 44 | Gabe Jacas | Illinois | EDGE (10) | Late 2nd |
| 45 | Christen Miller | Georgia | DT (5) | Late 2nd |
| 46 | Chris McClellan | Missouri | DT (6) | Late 2nd |
| 47 | AJ Haulcy | LSU | S (4) | Late 2nd |
| 48 | Chase Bisontis | Texas A&M | IOL (3) | Late 2nd |
| 49 | Keylan Rutledge | Georgia Tech | IOL (7) | Early 3rd |
| 50 | Jacob Rodriguez | Texas Tech | LB (5) | Early 3rd |
Thoughts
You will notice that wide receivers are pushed down the board a bit here, and the order differs greatly from their positional rankings. That comes down to the Raiders having a very specific need at the position. Las Vegas is not looking for just any receiver. The team needs a traditional X receiver who can threaten defenses down the field and win contested catches.
The receiver class as a whole is fairly strong this year, but that particular archetype is harder to find than you might expect. With that in mind, Ted Hurst stands out as a name to watch on Day 2. The Georgia State product would be a steal if he slipped to the third round.
Now let’s move on to the back half of the middle 50.
Numbers 51-75
| Rank | Name | School | Position (rank) | Grade |
| 51 | Brandon Cisse | South Carolina | CB (8) | Early 3rd |
| 52 | Aveion Terrell | Clemson | CB (7) NB (3) | 2nd |
| 53 | Brian Parker II | Duke | IOL (6) C (6) | Early 3rd |
| 54 | CJ Daniels | Miami | WR (12) | Early 3rd |
| 55 | Jude Bowry | Boston College | OT (7) | Early 3rd |
| 56 | Blake Miller | Clemson | OT (8) | 3rd |
| 57 | Markel Bell | Miami | OT (9) | 3rd |
| 58 | Ja’Kobi Lane | USC | WR (10) | 2nd |
| 59 | Keionte Scott | Miami | NB (1) | 2nd |
| 60 | Logan Jones | Iowa | IOL (4) C(1) | Late 2nd |
| 61 | Emmanuel Pregnon | Oregon | IOL (10) | 3rd |
| 62 | Jeremiyah Love | Notre Dame | RB (1) | Top 10 |
| 63 | Kenyon Sadiq | Oregon | TE (1) | 1st Rd |
| 64 | Josiah Trotter | Missouri | LB (6) | 3rd |
| 65 | Connor Lew | Auburn | IOL (5) C (2) | Late 2nd |
| 66 | Sam Hecht | Kansas State | IOL (9) C (4) | 3rd |
| 67 | Zakee Wheatley | Penn State | S (5) | 3rd |
| 68 | Germie Bernard | Alabama | WR (13) | Early 3rd |
| 69 | Chris Bell | Louisville | WR (11) | Early 3rd |
| 70 | Jalon Kilgore | South Carolina | S (10) NB (3) | 3rd |
| 71 | Isaiah World | Oregon | OT (10) | 3rd |
| 72 | Caleb Tiernan | Northwestern | OT (11) | 3rd |
| 73 | Genesis Smith | Arizona | S (6) NB | 3rd |
| 74 | Dani Dennis-Sutton | Penn State | EDGE (11) | 3rd |
| 75 | LT Overton | Alabama | EDGE (12) | 3rd |
Thoughts
This is where late Day 2 and early Day 3 prospects come into the picture. Keep in mind that this is a Raiders-specific board, and Las Vegas has three picks in the 100-to-150 range, giving the team plenty of ammunition to target players in this tier.
This could also be the prime range to add depth and competition along the offensive line and in the secondary. Two names that stand out as strong fits for the Raiders here are Penn State safety Zakee Wheatley and Northwestern offensive lineman Caleb Tiernan.
Wheatley would immediately become the team’s third safety and could realistically push Isaiah Pola-Mao for a starting spot. Tiernan, meanwhile, has the potential to crack the starting lineup at either right tackle or guard. There is real value to be found on Day 3, and the Raiders are in a good position to take advantage of it.
Speaking of which, it is time to round out the board.
Numbers 76-100
| Rank | Name | School | Position (rank) | Grade |
| 76 | Kamari Ramsey | USC | S (7) | Late 3rd |
| 77 | Daylen Everette | Georgia | CB (10) NB (5) | Late 3rd |
| 78 | Antonoio Williams | Clemson | WR (14) | 3rd |
| 79 | Jonah Coleman | Washington | RB (2) | Late 2nd |
| 80 | Domonique Orange | Iowa State | DT (7) | Late 3rd |
| 81 | Malachi Fields | Notre Dame | WR (18) | Late 3rd |
| 82 | Jaishawn Barham | Michigan | EDGE (13) | Late 3rd |
| 83 | R Mason Thomas | Oklahoma | EDGE (14) | Late 3rd |
| 84 | Drew Shelton | Penn State | OT (12) | Late 3rd |
| 85 | Eric McAllister | TCU | WR (19) | Late 3rd |
| 86 | Malachi Lawrence | UCF | EDGE (15) | 4th |
| 87 | De’Zhaun Stribling | Ole Miss | WR (16) | Late 3rd |
| 88 | Romello Height | Texas Tech | EDGE (16) | 4th |
| 89 | Eli Raridon | Notre Dame | TE (2) | 2nd |
| 90 | Max Klare | Ohio State | TE (3) | Late 2nd |
| 91 | Eli Stowers | Vanderbilt | TE (4) | Early 3rd |
| 92 | Zachariah Branch | Georgia | WR (15) | Late 3rd |
| 93 | Skyler Bell | UConn | WR (17) | Late 3rd |
| 94 | Robert Henry Jr. | UTSA | RB (4) | 4th |
| 95 | Jadarian Price | Notre Dame | RB (5) | 4th |
| 96 | Derrick Moore | Michigan | EDGE (17) | 4th |
| 97 | Treydan Stukes | Arizona | NB (4) | 4th |
| 98 | Jake Golday | Cincinnati | LB (7) | 4th |
| 99 | Kyle Lewis | Pitt | LB (8) NB | 4th |
| 100 | Jalen Farmer | Kentucky | IOL (11) | 4th |
Thoughts
These are the true Day 3 gems, and this is where positional need gives way to a simpler question: can this guy play?
One player who definitely can is UTSA running back Robert Henry Jr. Watch what he did to Texas A&M this past season and try to tell me he would not be a terrific change-of-pace back in Klint Kubiak’s zone running scheme. Another name worth pointing out is Kentucky guard Jalen Farmer, who sneaks onto the board at No. 100. He is a mauler with a ton of upside and the kind of nasty edge that offensive line coaches love.
That wraps up the 2026 Raiders big board. Whether you love it or hate it, let me know in the comments below!
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*Top Photo: Getty Images