First-Round Mock Draft: What If the Raiders DON'T Select Fernando Mendoza First Overall?

If there's one absolute certainty in the 2026 NFL Draft, it's that the Las Vegas Raiders will select former Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza with the first overall pick. This one is in the books, right? He's the perfect quarterback for Klint Kubiak's offense, right? Raiders shot-caller Tom Brady sees himself in Mendoza's skill set, right?

Well, that's all likely true, but we've all also seen instances in which guaranteed draft picks didn't turn out that way. So, let's say that the Raiders are not all in on Mendoza when it's time to drop the hammer on that pick. Instead, they'll make it known that the first overall pick is up for sale.

And if that happens, what are the effects on this draft? Let's say that the Raiders are not convinced that Mendoza — who would likely be QB2 at best in richer quarterback drafts — is the guy for them. Maybe they want to see what the 2027 class looks like, with the likes of Arch Manning and Julian Sayin up top. Now, they want more picks to build the roster around that future quarterback, and they'll go with the recently signed Kirk Cousins as their main man in the interim.

Not the decision that would make Raiders fans happy, but let's say it happens, anyway.

In the case of this particular mock draft, the Cleveland Browns come calling with authority.

Here's the trade:

Cleveland Browns get: No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 draft.
Las Vegas Raiders get: No. 6 overall pick, No. 24 overall pick, and a third-round pick in 2027.

And with that, the Browns take Mendoza, and the Raiders continue to build elsewhere. Let's see what the hypothetical first round would look like then.

1. (From Las Vegas Raiders) Cleveland Browns: Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana

5. New York Giants: Caleb Downs, DB, Ohio State

6. (From Cleveland Browns) Las Vegas Raiders: Carnell Tate, WR, Ohio State

No matter who the Raiders' quarterback is in 2026, that guy is going to need better receivers than are on the roster. The addition of Jalen Nailor in free agency is a nice WR3 move, but as the Raiders already have a ton of WR3s on the books, it's time to elevate the numbers. There is some question as to whether Tate is truly a No. 1 receiver in the iso boundary/ball-winner sense, but there isn't really one of those in this class, and were Tate not lined up next to Jeremiah Smith last season, there wouldn't be as many issues in the minds of some. In the right system with motion and condensed formations, Tate has the skills to pay all those bills, and Klint Kubiak's offense is tailor-made for such things.

7. Washington Commanders: Mansoor Delane, CB, LSU

Last season, the Commanders' cornerbacks allowed 126 catches on 212 targets for 1,748 yards, 11 touchdowns, five interceptions, and an opponent passer rating of 93.4 — sixth-highest in the NFL. That's one way to have your team fall apart when your franchise quarterback is dealing with injuries. Even if Jayden Daniels returns to his 2024 rookie form in 2026, there's a lot of work to do with that secondary. Giving head coach Dan Quinn and defensive coordinator Daronte Jones an alpha outside cornerback is Job 1 in this draft for the Commanders, and there's nobody better for that job than Delane.

Last season in man coverage, Delane allowed seven catches on 16 targets for 35 yards, no touchdowns, one interception, four pass breakups, and an opponent passer rating of ...

Zero-point-zero.

This is as set-it-and-forget-it a pick as you'll see in this mock.

8. New Orleans Saints: David Bailey, Edge, Texas Tech

Now the Saints are starting to build an offense around quarterback Tyler Shough, especially with the addition of running back Travis Etienne Jr. in free agency. While they do need receiver help, which may be represented in the first round of the actual draft, I'm giving defensive coordinator Brandon Staley the edge help he needs with Bailey, who may well be the most effective speed rusher in this class. With the NFL's increasing reliance on quick-game throws, you need defenders who can get to the quarterback as quickly as possible. As you can see from the tape and metrics below, that’s Bailey's strong suit.

9. Kansas City Chiefs: Jermod McCoy, CB, Tennessee

All anybody needed to see of McCoy is whether his March 31 pro day showed a player who had fully recovered from the torn ACL that cost McCoy his entire 2025 season.

I'd say any concerns are out the window.

So now, NFL teams can go back to McCoy's 2024 season, when he allowed 31 catches on 62 targets for 386 yards, two touchdowns, four interceptions, six pass breakups, and an opponent passer rating of 53.6. The Chiefs, who lost both Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson to the Los Angeles Rams this offseason, would be very grateful for McCoy's clean bill of health right here.

10. Cincinnati Bengals: Rueben Bain Jr., Edge, Miami

Losing Trey Hendrickson to the Baltimore Ravens in free agency means the Bengals need a top-tier edge-rusher, and that's still true even after they signed former Seattle Seahawks pass-rusher Boye Mafe. As Mafe is more of a speed-rusher than a pure power guy, let's bookend him with Rueben Bain Jr., the best power guy off the edge in this class.

Yes, short arms blah blah blah ... but just put on the tape and watch how Bain got his 12 sacks and 83 total pressures in 2025. All the way through the national championship game, when he and Akheem Mesidor terrorized Fernando Mendoza, Bain proved more than able to transcend his physical limitations. As power generally translates to the NFL, I'm not worried about the transition.

11. Miami Dolphins: Makai Lemon, WR, USC

Jalen Tolbert, Tutu Atwell, and Malik Washington. Right now, those are Miami's top projected receivers for new quarterback Malik Willis in the team's salary cap dump season. Nobody's expecting the Dolphins to compete for a postseason spot, but Willis needs more help than this. Lemon, who may be your WR1 in this class depending on what you like, would immediately amplify Willis' efforts, and at 5-foot-11 and 192 pounds, he's capable of winning from all over the formation.

12. Dallas Cowboys: Akheem Mesidor, Edge, Miami

The second Miami edge rusher to go in the top 12 picks, and this one to the Cowboys? Somewhere, Michael Irvin is crying with joy. In the case of Mesidor, the "ding" is that he'll be a 25-year-old rookie, which doesn't matter one bit when you watch his tape. Last season, the 6-foot-3, 259-pound Mesidor put up 13 sacks and 67 total pressures, and he has the skills and refinement to bring Dallas' pass rush up to where it needs to be — and where it hasn't been since the Micah Parsons trade.

13. (From Atlanta Falcons) Los Angeles Rams: Spencer Fano, OT, Utah

This is a pretty chalk pick with Rams right tackle Rob Havenstein's recent retirement, but sometimes, chalk projections are chalk because they make too much sense to be anything else. Fano is one of the most practiced offensive linemen in this class, and while there are some who think he should kick inside to guard (there's some NFL people who think he would be an All-Pro center), I'd put him out at left tackle and be that guy who can protect Matthew Stafford's blind side. He's already proved able at a very high level.

14. Baltimore Ravens: Kenyon Sadiq, TE, Oregon

Losing Isaiah Likely to the New York Giants in free agency means the Ravens are once again relying on Mark Andrews to be their primary tight end. It's time to reinforce that room for new offensive coordinator Declan Doyle, who had Colston Loveland and Cole Kmet last season as Chicago's offensive coordinator. Sadiq has the potential to be as much of a key part of his offense, and as much of a main man for his quarterback, as Loveland was in his rookie season of 2025.

15. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Cashius Howell, Edge, Texas A&M

It seems that Todd Bowles has been unhappy with his pass rush since he became the Buccaneers' head coach in 2022, and the team has struggled to find that alpha edge rusher throughout Bowles' time in that role. So, let's correct that issue with the addition of Howell, who had 12 sacks and 41 total pressures last season. Like Rueben Bain, Howell has managed to navigate short-arm issues. He's different than Bain is that his game is more about speed, flexibility, and technique. Regardless, Howell would be a wonderful addition to Tampa Bay's defense.

16. (From Indianapolis Colts) New York Jets: Jordyn Tyson, WR, Arizona State

The Jets are going with Geno Smith as their short-term starting quarterback, hoping that Smith's second tenure with the team goes better than the first one. For that to happen, Smith will need a better receiver corps than Garrett Wilson and the Pips. Were it not for a rather lengthy injury history, Tyson could well be WR1 in this class, and if he's able to buck that past in the NFL, the Jets would have two legitimate game-breakers for the first time in... we don't know how long. For Smith and for his eventual successor, amping up the receiver talent is a big deal, and it needs to happen soon.

17. Detroit Lions: Monroe Freeling, OT, Georgia

The Lions will be without the recently released/retired Taylor Decker for the first time since the 2015 season, and now, there's talk of moving right tackle Penei Sewell to the left side to replace him. That's one way to go, but I'd rather keep Sewell where he is as the NFL's best right tackle, and draft Decker's replacement. There are a lot of interesting tackles in this class, but not one has Freeling's functional athleticism — both in line and on the move. Freeling isn't quite a finished product yet, but when he gets there, he'll have the look of a future star. At his best, he already does.

18. Minnesota Vikings: Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, DB, Toledo

The common mock pick for the Vikings is Oregon's Dillon Thieneman, and with Harrison Smith off to an uncertain future, that pick makes sense. But if I'm defensive coordinator Brian Flores, and McNeil-Warren is still here at No. 18, I'm making that call with a quickness. McNeil-Warren is the perfect modern do-it-all defender in that he can lock things down from the slot to the deep third, and at 6-foot-3 1/2 and 201 pounds, he has the goods to bring the hammer wherever he is.

19. Carolina Panthers: KC Concepcion, WR, Texas A&M

The Panthers hit the motherlode last season with Offensive Rookie of the Year Tetairoa McMillan, and now, it's time to give Bryce Young another estimable target. There are those who would limit Concepcion to more of a gadget role and banish him to the late first round, but I see a receiver with more than just game-breaking ability in certain motion concepts. Concepcion has already shown that he can get and stay open to all areas of the field, and his addition to Carolina's offense could put the whole thing over the top.

20. (From Green Bay Packers) Dallas Cowboys: CJ Allen, LB, Georgia

The Cowboys already did the right thing for their defense by replacing Matt Eberflus with new defensive coordinator Christian Parker, and now, it's time to take the linebacker corps to a needed level. Dallas can do that with the 6-foot-1, 230-pound Allen, who can do just about everything you want a modern linebacker to do. If DeMarvion Overshown can stay healthy, the linebacker corps in Big D is solved, and the defense should be quite a bit better than the disaster it was in 2025.

21. Pittsburgh Steelers: Denzel Boston, WR, Washington

If you're a Steelers fan, you will remember what happened to your team's passing game when DK Metcalf served his two-game suspension at the end of the regular season for his fracas with Detroit Lions fans. If not, here's a stark reminder.

Whomsoever plays quarterback in Mike McCarthy's offense, and its high reliance on 11 personnel (one running back, one tight end, three receivers) will want at least one more big, ball-winning target on the field in 2026. Boston, who can slice through defenses with his size (6-foot-4, 212 pounds) and downfield acceleration, would team with Metcalf to form one of the NFL's most dangerous duos, and that might get Aaron Rodgers to make a crucial decision sooner than later.

22. Los Angeles Chargers: Olaivavega Ioane, G, Penn State

If things go this way for the Chargers, head coach Jim Harbaugh and new offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel will be two of the happiest people in the greater Los Angeles area. The offensive line was shredded last season with the injuries to tackles Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt, and now that those guys are back healthy, it's time to address the inside of the line. Adding Olaivavega Ioane gives the Chargers the best guard in this class, and quite possibly the most pro-ready offensive lineman overall. Justin Herbert, who spent the 2025 season running for his life, would be especially enthused.

23. Philadelphia Eagles: Dillon Thieneman, DB, Oregon

Losing Reed Blankenship to the Houston Texans in free agency means that the Eagles need another tone-setting safety to pair with Andrew Mukuba. Given that few coaches are better at making the most of versatile defenders than Vic Fangio, this would be a great fit in that Thieneman is at his best from the box to the deep third, and has the proven ability to do other things. Yes, edge rusher is also a big need, but here, the Eagles bet on Thieneman's potential and avail themselves of a very deep edge class later in the draft.

24. (From Cleveland Browns) Las Vegas Raiders: Francis Mauigoa, OL, Miami

The Raiders' second pick in the Mendoza haul could bring them a franchise right tackle or one of the best guards in the business. Last season, the 6-foot-5 1/2, 329-pound Mauigoa allowed two sacks and 15 total pressures in 557 pass-blocking reps, but where he really stands out is as a street-fighter and power blocker with every bit of that mentality. The Raiders need a lot of help at right tackle, and if Mauigoa can balance his desire to kick ass with a need to refine the nuances of pass pro, he could solve every problem the team has over there.

25. Chicago Bears: Keldric Faulk, Edge, Auburn

The Bears had a pressure rate of 21.1% last season, which is not at all good, and they didn't do a lot to reinforce their edge group in free agency. Fortunately, it's a loaded class there, and with the 25th pick, Chicago can add a new Monster of the Midway in Auburn's Faulk. In 2025, Faulk had two sacks and 30 total pressures, but the tape showed more than that, especially as a multi-gap disruptor. The 6-foot-6, 276-pound Faulk has all kinds of quarterback-bothering skill, and depending on how much you want to reduce the weight, he could really attack outside the tackles.

26. Buffalo Bills: Emmanuel Pregnon, G, Oregon

Now, on to the second-best guard in this class. The Bills have a few needs, and a defensive player here would make a lot of people happy. But as it stands, sixth offensive lineman Alec Anderson is the team's projected starting left guard, and that may not be a good thing. Pregnon would be a great fit in Joe Brady's multiple offense as a great pass protector (one sack and five pressures allowed in 471 pass-blocking reps last season), and a dude who can really move people in the run game.

27. San Francisco 49ers: Kadyn Proctor, OT, Alabama

The 49ers are trying to define their future with Trent Williams. The future Hall of Famer wants a new contract, and the team would undoubtedly like some relief on Williams' 2026 cap hit of more than $46 million. Regardless of how things go, Williams is also coming into his age-38 season, and the four sacks and 40 total pressures he allowed last season tell stories of their own.

So, maybe it's time to think about the future. At 6-foot-7 and 352 pounds at the scouting combine, Proctor is built like a house, but he has far better movement skills than you'd expect from a man that size, and he's improved exponentially as a blocker over the last three seasons. He might not be ready to replace Williams right away, but if there's any in-season back-and-forth about that contract situation, maybe Proctor gets a chance to prove it.

28. Houston Texans: Kayden McDonald, DI, Ohio State

DeMeco Ryans' Texans defense may be the NFL's best in that it can blow up any offense with minimal schematic skullduggery. That's just how good they are from a pure talent perspective. If there's one thing the Texans could use to make that side of the ball even better, it's a man in the middle who can two-gap all day, blow up run fits, and occasionally get to the quarterback. At 6-foot-2 and 326 pounds, McDonald can do those things all day long, and when you watch his one-gap pass-rushing reps, there's more there than people may realize.

29. (From Los Angeles Rams) Kansas City Chiefs: Avieon Terrell, CB, Clemson

The Chiefs already got their CB1 in this draft in Jermod McCoy, and if defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo gets Avieon Terrell as well, it's possible that the Trent McDuffie/Jaylen Watson succession plan will take no time at all. Might as well get things rolling with the pick they got in the McDuffie trade. At 5-foot-11 and 186 pounds, Terrell brings McDuffie to mind as an absolute dawg who can play both inside and outside, and has no issue locking down receivers in press coverage. That's important for a Chiefs team that has led the NFL in press coverage reps since the day Spags took over in 2019.

30. (From Denver Broncos) Miami Dolphins: Colton Hood, CB, Tennessee

Speaking of Tennessee cornerbacks ... last season with McCoy out of the picture, Colton Hood was given the CB1 responsibility, and he took to it with no issue. In 2025, the 6-foot, 193-pound Hood allowed 28 catches on 52 targets for 318 yards, one touchdown, one interception, five pass breakups, and an opponent passer rating of 70.8. The Dolphins currently have Darrell Baker Jr. and the delightfully-named Storm Duck as their starting cornerbacks, so Hood would provide an important port in this particular roster storm.

31. New England Patriots: Chris Brazzell II, WR, Tennessee

One of the reasons the Patriots made the Super Bowl last season was Drake Maye's status as one of the NFL's best deep passers, completing 41 of 84 passes of 20 or more air yards for 1,268 yards, 12 touchdowns, three interceptions, and a passer rating of 119.5.

Now, imagine what Maye could do as a deep passer with a receiver of Chris Brazzell's vertical profile. In 2025, Brazzell caught 13 of 23 deep passes for 509 yards and six touchdowns, and he did it in a Tennessee offense that was less Full Metal Spread and more NFL-conversant than Vols offenses of recent years. In Josh McDaniels' offense, Brazzell would be of immediate benefit to Mr. Maye, and would help that offense keep growing impressively.

32. Seattle Seahawks: Chris Johnson, CB, San Diego State

The Seahawks let Riq Woolen fly to Philadelphia on a one-year, $12 million contract, which tells you a bit about how head coach and defensive mastermind Mike Macdonald felt about Woolen's coverage inconsistencies. Now, the champs need another tone-setting cornerback to go with Josh Jobe and Devon Witherspoon. There are bigger-school guys who I'm sure would be on Seattle's radar here, but I'm of the opinion that Johnson is the single most underrated player in this class.

Last season, the 6-foot, 193-pound Johnson allowed 18 catches on 43 targets for 185 yards, no touchdowns, four interceptions, five pass breakups, and an opponent passer rating of 16.1 — by far the lowest among FBS cornerbacks playing at least 50% of their teams' snaps in 2025. Mansoor Delane ranked second at 31.3. And when you watch Johnson's work against Cal and Washington State, it's pretty easy to throw the small-school qualifiers out the window. This is an aggressive, disruptive defender who has the coverage consistently upon which the Seahawks insist.