Raiders 3-Round 2026 NFL Mock Draft: Addressing major flaws that Vegas couldn’t during free agency
The Raiders have a lot of needs going into the draft, but less than they had before.
The Las Vegas Raiders spent some good money in free agency. We now have a better idea of how this team will look in 2026 and what they need to address in the 2026 NFL Draft. So, let’s break out our most recent mock draft to see just how bad I did, as everyone will tell me.
Raiders 2026 3-Round NFL Mock Draft
1.01 – Indiana Hoosiers QB Fernando Mendoza
We all know Vegas is taking Mendoza, and we have talked about it a million times. We all know who he is and what kind of player he is. I’ll save time by jumping past the obvious No. 1 pick, Mendoza, and focus on the picks shaping his rookie year.
2.36 – Oregon Ducks G Emmanuel Pregnon
The Raiders need a guard because I’m not sold on Caleb Rogers as a starter next to Linderbaum and JPJ just yet. He’s hardly played at all, and gave up far too many blown blocks in the short amount of time he did play. I could see them going tackle here, too; however, Kubiak’s comments about liking the stability there make me think he won’t change the ability and take a tackle in Round 2, where you can start him. That changes the stability factor. Pregnon made waves at the NFL Scouting Combine because of his exciting blend of power and speed. He’s a player quietly, yet consistently, rising in mock drafts to a point where he even goes in the latter part of Round 1 in some cases. For Vegas, this is a great value.
3.67 – Indiana Hoosiers WR Elijah Sarratt
Nailor, the Raiders’ new wide receiver they got in free agency, is a slot receiver. That’s where he played the most snaps last year, and that’s where he projects to be this season. Jack Bech and Dont’e Thornton haven’t really done anything in their careers yet, and are projected to be on the outside. Although the Raiders took two receivers last year, I can see them taking another one on Day 2 in 2026. Sarratt is the perfect blend of what they have and what they need. He’s going to make his money in the middle and intermediate parts of the field. He’s got an amazing catch radius and brings down contested catches extremely well. His 6’2 frame allows him not to get thrown around much when he is being pressed, but he does have to work on some things, like his release when being pressed, and a few small things that could really change his separation factor. And, why not pair him with Mendoza?
Final analysis
I know a lot of fans will not like the Raiders going all offense with their first three picks, but hear me out: At this point, with what they have done in free agency, it’s the side of the ball that needs the most work. The Raiders went heavy on defense in free agency outside of Linderbaum and Nailor. They have more holes on offense, and the holes they do have on defense seem to be positions that they can deal with and get by with if they can’t end up addressing them heavily in the draft. The good thing is, this is now a debate. That means the Raiders are doing something right, because a few months ago, it didn’t matter what you did in your mock drafts. The Raiders were so bad and had so many holes that you could just randomly select the best players in the draft, and it would be a fit. This team is improving by leaps and bounds before our own eyes. This class would only help make them better, too. The issue at hand is trying to decide what they do after No. 1, and to me, there are so many possibilities, none of them really wrong, either.
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