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Raiders Mailbag: Final questions before the Silver and Black are on the clock

Apr 22, 2026 at 09:30 AM

Digital Team Reporter

Michael Aguirre from New Mexico said:

"At No. 36, let's draft a top safety."

In what's deemed a deep draft class at the safety position, two players come to mind for the Raiders at No. 36.

The first is Dillon Thieneman, who enjoyed an incredible junior season at Oregon after two seasons at Purdue. In 2025, he had 44 solo tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and five pass deflections. His instincts allow him to usually be at the right place at the right time, with eight career interceptions in 39 games played. He also had one of the best NFL Combine showings of any player in attendance. He recorded a 4.35 40-yard dash time and his 18 reps on bench press (225 pounds) were the most among all defensive backs.

Another is Toledo's Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, who is the highest-rated Group of Six prospect by NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah. He has a blend of size and athleticism at 6-foot-3, 201 pounds. Additionally, he's seemingly one of the rare safeties in the draft class who's equally talented as a run stopper and dropping back in coverage with five interceptions, 11 tackles for loss and nine forced fumbles in his collegiate career.

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Jeffrey Turkel from Maine:

"How do you rate the need for a DT in the second round as opposed to WR, CB or safety?"

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but I personally believe defensive tackle, wide receiver, cornerback and safety are all of equal need for the Raiders.

Therefore, I'm convinced the Silver and Black will go with the best player available, which has already been hinted by General Manager John Spytek.

"I do think that the component of team need can come into play if you've got multiple players graded at the same position," Spytek said in his pre-draft press conference, "and you're trying to break a tie if you've got similar grades on a player, but I think you always want to stay true to your board. I mean, we've got a big staff. Our college department, pro guys are involved now. We've got analytics departments involved.

"We've got a lot of people, a lot of information and data we're gathering to build this board. So, we want to hold true to the work that's been put in."

To contradict myself, even though I don't believe defensive tackle is the most pressing need, that's the position I mocked the Raiders drafting in the second round, selecting Christen Miller. It's also the position my colleague Paul Gutierrez drafted in the second round of his mock.

Joel Taylor from Hawaii asks:

"Which offensive linemen should the Raiders look for in the draft?"

Size and durability are among top traits to look for. With that in mind, there are a few guys that fit the bill for the Raiders on Day 2 and 3.

For the interior, Oregon's Emmanuel Pregnon and Georgia Tech's Keylan Rutledge were both First-Team All-Americans.

Pregnon was ranked third among all FBS guards with an 85.8 run-blocking grade from Pro Football Focus and seventh with an 88.1 pass-blocking grade. He was a vital piece of an Oregon offensive line that was named a finalist for the Joe Moore Award, presented to the nation's most outstanding offensive line unit. Rutledge was a team captain at Georgia Tech and didn't allow a single sack in 872 snaps in 2025.

At tackle, Northwestern's Caleb Tiernan, Arizona State's Max Iheanachor and Boston College's Jude Bowry all stand out. Each of the three stand over 6-foot-5. A Day 3 steal at tackle could be Markell Bell. The 6-foot-9, 346 pound lineman transferred from Holmes Community College to the University of Miami, where, as an upperclassman, he appeared in 28 games while not allowing a single sack during his senior season.

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Las Vegas Raiders cornerback Eric Stokes (5) during day two of 2026 Veteran Minicamp at Intermountain Health Performance Center.