Raiders' Draft: Mendoza, Weapons, and Turnaround

0:00It's April 23rd, from kickoff to the final whistle. This is NFL News Today, powered by AI. I'm Cory with the story. The Las Vegas Raiders turn their brutal 2025 season into gold, with the number one overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Fresh off hiring Clint Kubiak as head coach, they're set to grab a franchise quarterback like Indiana's Fernando Mendoza, who's topping this thinner, class of signal callers. They enter the draft with 10 picks, starting Thursday 9th, after smart free agency moves like signing center Tyler Linderbaum to a big deal. And adding Kirk Cousins to the quarterback room, they traded away Geno Smith to the Jets, clearing the path for a rookie starter. Fans and analysts are buzzing because the Raiders still need weapons beyond the QB spot. Their top receiver, Trey Tucker, only hit 696. Yards last year, and the safety group is thin, despite Jeremy Chen's solid play. It's a full roster rebuild after years without stability, since Derek Carr.

1:01In the latest mock draft, experts see them taking Mendoza first, then Louisville White Out, Chris Bell at Pick 36 in Round 2, followed by defensive tackles, corners, and more depth pieces through seven rounds. That could transform the line of quick. With Kubiak calling shots in this hall undec, the Raiders are positioning for a turnaround, keep an eye on how they build around that top pick this, weakened.