MarkT'S MOCK DRAFT
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MarkT'S MOCK DRAFT
RUN ON JAN 12, 2026

LostWages-Downs

  • MarkT DRAFTING FOR THE
    Raiders
Draft Selections
Fernando Mendoza Head Shot
PICK: 2 RND: 1 (LV)
Fernando Mendoza
QB Indiana
Caleb Downs Head Shot
PICK: 16 RND: 1 (LV)
Caleb Downs
S Ohio State
Olaivavega Ioane Head Shot
PICK: 36 RND: 2 (LV)
Olaivavega Ioane
OG Penn State
Keith Abney II Head Shot
PICK: 67 RND: 3 (LV)
Keith Abney II
CB Arizona State
Jake Golday Head Shot
PICK: 102 RND: 4 (LV)
Jake Golday
OLB Cincinnati
Max Iheanachor Head Shot
PICK: 117 RND: 4 (LV)
Max Iheanachor
OT Arizona State
Davison Igbinosun Head Shot
PICK: 135 RND: 4 (LV)
Davison Igbinosun
CB Ohio State
Tristan Leigh Head Shot
PICK: 176 RND: 5 (LV)
Tristan Leigh
OT Clemson
Eric McAlister Head Shot
PICK: 181 RND: 6 (LV)
Eric McAlister
WR TCU
De'Zhaun Stribling Head Shot
PICK: 184 RND: 6 (LV)
De'Zhaun Stribling
WR Ole Miss
Pat Coogan Head Shot
PICK: 219 RND: 7 (LV)
Pat Coogan
C Indiana
Draft Picks Received
Fernando Mendoza Head Shot
PICK: 2 RND: 1 (NYJ)
Fernando Mendoza
QB Indiana
Caleb Downs Head Shot
PICK: 16 RND: 1 (NYJ)
Caleb Downs
S Ohio State
Draft Picks Traded
Rueben Bain Jr. Head Shot
PICK: 1 RND: 1 (NYJ)
Rueben Bain Jr.
DE-EDGE Miami
Draft Grade — Raiders
Overall B+
ValueB- NeedB TradesA+ FutureB-
Mendoza is the Raiders' new face under center. Grade: B+.

After circling the position for what felt like forever, the Raiders committed. Fernando Mendoza is the quarterback now, and the roster gets built to his timeline.

The Leigh reach is the anchor dragging on the value grade. The dealing alone would carry a lesser class.

The running back hole is the one line item this class does not answer. Golday at that cost is the sort of edge that compounds over a roster.

Bottom line, more hits than misses and a roster nudged the right way.

Pick Analysis
Pick2 Rnd1 Fernando Mendoza
In the Round 1 slot they get their guy under center for the next decade. A clean fit for the roster.
Pick16 Rnd1 Caleb Downs
In pick No. 16 they get an enforcer at safety, and a steal at that. Need was not the driver here.
Pick36 Rnd2 Olaivavega Ioane
By-the-book stuff, Olaivavega Ioane at Round 2, Pick 4 squarely in line with his ranking. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
Pick67 Rnd3 Keith Abney II
No edge and no loss on Keith Abney II in the 67th overall pick; it is a wash and a sensible one. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
Pick102 Rnd4 Jake Golday
They will replay Jake Golday at pick 102 for years; that is how good the value is. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
Pick117 Rnd4 Max Iheanachor
They reached into another round for Max Iheanachor, and the board is nowhere close to agreeing. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
Pick135 Rnd4 Davison Igbinosun
Davison Igbinosun at the 135th pick is an overdraft of the loud, memorable kind. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
Pick176 Rnd5 Tristan Leigh
Tristan Leigh at No. 176 is a steep price for a hunch, hard to square with any board. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
Pick181 Rnd6 Eric McAlister
A tidy little value on Eric McAlister in pick 181, a step better than break-even. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
Pick184 Rnd6 De'Zhaun Stribling
De'Zhaun Stribling at pick No. 184 is the pick scouts circle, and not in a good way. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
Pick219 Rnd7 Pat Coogan
A market-rate offensive lineman, with the board and the slot shaking hands on Pat Coogan. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.