NFL Network host and Raiders.com contributor Rhett Lewis gives his analysis of each of the Silver and Black's 2026 draft selections and how they fit in on the roster.

Round 1, No. 1: Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana

HEISMAN, WON. NATTY, DONE. DRAFTED, ONE. Great line by the Raiders social media team to describe the accomplishments of Fernando Mendoza. The former Hoosiers quarterback is as prepared for this moment as any QB in draft history. He's been working in Klint Kubiak's system. He's been studying Raiders history and he's ready to write the next chapter in the illustrious history of this proud franchise. January 19th, 2003, was the Raiders' last postseason win. Twenty-three years to the day later, Mendoza helped IU win the national title and he's poised to chart another successful course for the Silver and Black.

Round 2, No. 38: Treydan Stukes, S, Arizona

Judging by my mentions after my Raiders.com 7-round mock draft that included no safeties, Raider Nation must be ecstatic with this selection of Arizona's Treydan Stukes. The Wildcat DB played the majority of his snaps in the slot but is very comfortable walked down as a safety in the box. The first three snaps I watched from the Arizona-Iowa State game, Stukes knocked back a TE, covered a slot receiver and made a bone jarring tackle that prevented a third-down conversion at the sticks. Stukes' impact will reverberate throughout Allegiant Stadium on gamedays…literally.

Round 3, No. 67: Keyron Crawford, DE, Auburn

Keyron Crawford was primarily used as a stand-up edge defender for Auburn but can be seen with his hand in the dirt at times. He's got some serious upfield acceleration, which was easy to see for me watching him against good competition in Texas A&M, which included a sack where he defeated a double-team and closed quickly to sack QB Marcel Reed. The addition of Crawford continues to bolster the depth of options to harass opposing quarterbacks in Vegas

Round 3, No. 91: Trey Zuhn III, G, Texas A&M

Speaking of talented Texas A&M offensive lineman! Twenty-four picks after Crawford, the Raiders snagged one of the more versatile offensive lineman in this class, Trey Zuhn III who has played the majority of his career at left tackle but also started at center and was announced by the Raiders as a guard. Zuhn, a captain for the Aggies, started 50 games in his career and should provide depth immediately along the offensive line with the ability to develop into a solid starter.

Round 4, No. 101: Jermod McCoy, CB, Tennessee

At long last, the fall for Jermod McCoy comes to an end in Las Vegas after GM John Spytek traded up one spot to ensure the selection of McCoy with the first pick of the fourth round. McCoy was arguably the best corner in college football in 2024, but an ACL tear in January kept him out the entire 2025 season and concerns over his knee are what precipitated his slide in the draft. However, the injury concerns are not directly related to the ACL recovery, but instead due to a cartilage issue that could require an additional complex surgery to replace a bone plug used as the repair mechanism. There are zero concerns, though, over the play of McCoy, which had him in the top 10 conversation in this draft. This represents a tremendous value for the Raiders - one well worth the risk at this point in the draft.

Round 4, No. 122: Mike Washington Jr., RB, Arkansas

In my opinion, the selection of Mike Washington Jr. represents another massive value here in the fourth round. I had Washington as one of the top three running backs in this draft. He had an excellent Senior Bowl week earning practice player of the week honors and then blew up the Combine running the fastest 40-yard dash time of all the running backs at 4.33. It might take some development before he becomes proficient in Klint Kubiak's run game scheme but he has all the tools to do so and projects as an excellent complement to Ashton Jeanty.

Round 5, No. 150: Dalton Johnson, S, Arizona

Some familiarity coming to Vegas for Raiders second-round pick, Treydan Stukes, and it's his former Wildcat teammate and fellow DB Dalton Johnson. He's not the biggest dude out there at 5-foot-10 and 192 pounds, but he makes big plays and is an absolute tackling machine, accumulating 277 career stops in college.

Round 5, No. 175: Hezekiah Masses, CB, California

The fourth and final defensive back selection for the Raiders in this draft was Cal DB Hezekiah Masses. We just talked about the immense tackling numbers from Dalton Johnson and for Masses, what sticks out is the ball production he amassed this last season! Masses reeled in five interceptions this last season in Berkeley but also an impressive 13 PBUs. Sticky coverage is obviously a baseline attribute for a corner, but making plays on the ball is a game-changing trait and Masses did that as well as anyone in college football this season.

Round 6, No. 195: Malik Benson, WR, Oregon

The speedy Malik Benson, taken in the sixth round, represents the only receiver of this Raiders draft class. Benson was the Oregon Ducks' leading receiver this last season and one of his six touchdowns was a deep shot in the first matchup for the Ducks against Fernando Mendoza's Indiana Hoosiers. The fact that Benson is the only receiver in the class could tell you how the Raiders feel about the development of last year's rookie wideouts Jack Bech and Dont'e Thornton Jr.

Round 7, No. 229: Brandon Cleveland, DT, NC State

I thought the interior defensive line position would be addressed at some point in this draft and Brandon Cleveland rings that bell as the final selection of this draft haul. Cleveland is a player who can handle double teams with excellent balance and the explosive ability to split them.