DBTFBPourcast'S MOCK DRAFT
  1. Home
  2. Simulator

DBTFBPourcast'S MOCK DRAFT
RUN ON JAN 19, 2026

2026-3

  • DBTFBPourcast DRAFTING FOR THE
    Raiders
Draft Selections
Fernando Mendoza Head Shot
PICK: 1 RND: 1 (LV)
Fernando Mendoza
QB Indiana
Caleb Banks Head Shot
PICK: 36 RND: 2 (LV)
Caleb Banks
DE Florida
Jake Slaughter Head Shot
PICK: 67 RND: 3 (LV)
Jake Slaughter
C Florida
Carter Smith Head Shot
PICK: 102 RND: 4 (LV)
Carter Smith
OT Indiana
Zachariah Branch Head Shot
PICK: 117 RND: 4 (LV)
Zachariah Branch
WR Georgia
Keylan Rutledge Head Shot
PICK: 134 RND: 4 (LV)
Keylan Rutledge
OG Georgia Tech
Jermaine Mathews Jr. Head Shot
PICK: 174 RND: 5 (LV)
Jermaine Mathews Jr.
CB Ohio State
Bud Clark Head Shot
PICK: 180 RND: 6 (LV)
Bud Clark
S TCU
Thaddeus Dixon Head Shot
PICK: 183 RND: 6 (LV)
Thaddeus Dixon
CB North Carolina
Isaac Smith Head Shot
PICK: 219 RND: 7 (LV)
Isaac Smith
S Mississippi State
Draft Grade — Raiders
Overall B-
ValueB NeedB+ TradesB- FutureB-
Quarterback settled, Mendoza in the fold, and a B- for the Raiders.

The one hole that towered over the rest is filled. The Raiders spent their marquee pick on Fernando Mendoza, and for the first time in a while there is a real answer at quarterback. Solid and sensible more than spectacular: a B-.

However the rest shakes out, Smith at that price is a win they earned. They covered a lot of ground and still skipped running back, which is a strange place to end up.

All told, a solid class that does its job everywhere but running back.

Pick Analysis
Pick1 Rnd1 Fernando Mendoza
In pick No. 1 they get a passer to set the clock by. A clean fit for the roster.
Pick36 Rnd2 Caleb Banks
A quiet steal in slot 36: Caleb Banks for less than the market said. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
Pick67 Rnd3 Jake Slaughter
A slide stopped in Round 3, Pick 3, with Jake Slaughter worth more than the price. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
Pick102 Rnd4 Carter Smith
Carter Smith in the Round 4 slot should not have been possible, and that is the whole point. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
Pick117 Rnd4 Zachariah Branch
Good things come to war rooms that wait, and Zachariah Branch at pick 117 is the proof. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
Pick134 Rnd4 Keylan Rutledge
The board had Keylan Rutledge higher than the 134th pick, and the offensive lineman fell to them anyway. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
Pick174 Rnd5 Jermaine Mathews Jr.
Jermaine Mathews Jr. at the 174th overall pick is money in the bank, a cornerback taken below his worth. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
Pick180 Rnd6 Bud Clark
No edge and no loss on Bud Clark in No. 180; it is a wash and a sensible one. Not urgent, but hardly pointless.
Pick183 Rnd6 Thaddeus Dixon
They paid sticker price for Thaddeus Dixon in Round 6, Pick 4, and that is fine. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
Pick219 Rnd7 Isaac Smith
By-the-book stuff, Isaac Smith at the 219th overall pick squarely in line with his ranking. A want more than a need, though you can never have too many.