Raiders have a special connection on their roster that could push a need back even further in the draft and possibly to next offseason
The Las Vegas Raiders could push their need for another wide receiver in the 2026 NFL Draft back to this year’s draft, or they could just push it to next offseason.
With Kirk Cousins expected to start for the Las Vegas Raiders in 2026, the team appears set to let rookie QB Fernando Mendoza develop until he is ready to take the field.
But Vegas can still win games with Cousins. The Raiders have a need at wide receiver. But, with Cousins and Jalen Nailor’s established connection, they may be comfortable delaying a WR pick until later in the draft or targeting one high next year. Vegas seems to believe Nailor can be a No. 1 WR in 2026.
“I’m really excited about Jalen [Nailor], because I was with him in Minnesota, and I could see his ability,” Cousins told reporters. “When you have Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen, it’s hard to get the ball as a receiver because you’re going to target Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen, and yet, every time Jalen got opportunities, he showed what he could do. And I think that showed even more there once I left Minnesota.
“But I think to have him here, and now in a bigger role, I think that’s really exciting, because it allows the player to really fulfill his potential. And so, I think he knows that, I know that, and I’m excited to get on the grass with him, and routes on air and in team drills, and just start to build that rapport and really allow him to have a much bigger role moving forward, because I think he’s capable of carrying a bigger role.”
Raiders’ top-30 visits says they will still likely target a WR high in the draft
Pre-draft visits don’t reveal draft choices but do show interest. Sometimes teams meet players to gather intel on teammates. The Raiders‘ visits show that one position stands out. The Raiders have met with Georgia State WR Ted Hurst, ECU WR Anthony Smith, and Texas A&M WR KC Concepcion, Alabama WR Germie Bernard, Washington WR Denzel Boston, Louisville WR Chris Bell, Texas Tech WR Caleb Douglas, Georgia WR Zachariah Branch, and Indiana WR Omar Cooper Jr. Seven are top-30 visits, indicating the Raiders are seriously considering a wide receiver. Of 15 visits so far, seven are for WRs.
The Raiders may still end up taking a WR high. But, they have a guy in Nailor who has shown he can be that if given the touches. Last season, behind guys like Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison, Nailor finished with 444 receiving yards and four receiving touchdowns. Nailor also finished with 15.3 yards per catch. That showed that he can be an elite threat in that intermediate to deep part of the passing game.
On 49 targets in 2025, Nailor had just one drop. Nailor is one of the best WRs in the league at getting first downs. He’s good at both after the catch and catching the ball at the sticks. According to Sports Info Solutions, Nailor had the eighth-best first-down percentage in the league at 79.3%. Nailor was also 24th in average depth of target and 22nd in average depth of completion, two stats that really show how much work the receiver is doing every play and a good metric for seeing just how important a receiver is to his team.
He can be the No. 1 receiver on this team, and the team still be good enough to win while Mendoza sits. Then, you can use that pick that you would have used on a receiver on a different position. Now, for the record, I still think the Raiders could take a WR before Day 3. But maybe Nailor and Cousins pairing up together changes the way they think about it.
