The Las Vegas Raiders are set to make a ton of noise in Round 1 of the 2026 NFL Draft, as the franchise has the No. 1 overall pick and also the No. 14 pick from the Baltimore Ravens in the Maxx Crosby trade.
Las Vegas is widely expected to select Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza with the top pick, but it sounds like general manager John Spytek has his eyes on the trenches with his other Round 1 selection.
An NFL general manager spoke to SportsBoom's Jason La Canfora and believes the Raiders will be taking an offensive tackle on Day 1 of the draft.
“They’re going to draft a tackle day one, and they’ll add a guard. The line was terrible. They couldn’t (run) block or (pass) protect. It looks like they finally have a plan. The last two coaches were on the defensive side of the ball. This is Brady’s baby now. They are building up the offense for Mendoza," the general manager said to La Canfora."
The Raiders taking a tackle in the first round is a horrible development for the Dallas Cowboys, Detroit Lions, and Chicago Bears.
Dallas has a pressing need at left tackle, as Tyler Smith is currently slated to be the starter, and he's playing out of position. The Cowboys could be looking to take a tackle with one of their first-round picks, but Las Vegas could beat them to it.
The same goes for the NFC North teams, Detroit and Chicago. The Lions moved on from Taylor Decker, while the Bears could use an upgrade over Braxton Jones and Ozzy Trapilo.
Las Vegas should prioritize the offensive line with Mendoza entering the building soon, but it's bad news for other tackle-needy teams, including the Cowboys, Lions, and Bears.
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