fernando mendoza
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Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza.
The Las Vegas Raiders are set to look like a very different team in 2026. Much of the coaching staff is different, and the team has spent big bringing in outside free agents.
That’s not to mention that the team is expected to use the No. 1 pick in the draft to select Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza. The Raiders are rumored to want to sign a veteran who could possibly start the season while they slowly bring Mendoza along, but he’s the future face of the franchise if they do draft him.
To set up Mendoza for success, the Raiders needed to upgrade their wide receiver room. They still have moves they need to make, but they did land former Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Jalen Nailor.
He hasn’t put up big numbers in his career, but he’s also been behind Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison on the depth chart. Plus, the Vikings were a mess at quarterback last season.
Nailor just got to Las Vegas, but already had a chance to give some of his thoughts on possibly playing with Mendoza.
“It will be great for him to come in and show what he can do,” Nailor said of Mendoza during his introductory press conference. “It will be great for the WR room to have that kind of guy throwing the ball.”
Raiders Draw Praise for Nailor Signing
Nailor is a very interesting player to take a swing at. He was a sixth-round pick who didn’t put up huge numbers in college.
He has mostly been a third or fourth wide receiver at the NFL level, but some are very high on his upside. Daniel Popper of The Athletic gave the Raiders an “A” grade for the signing.
“Nailor was one of my favorite players in this year’s class because of his upside,” Popper wrote. “The 2022 sixth-round pick only caught 29 passes for 444 yards last season. But he was playing alongside Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison, and he was dealing with subpar quarterback play. But the film showed a player who was open often. He has the traits to be a much more productive player in a bigger role, including inside-outside flexibility, yards-after-the-catch ability, play speed to push vertically and the spatial awareness to find holes against zone coverage. The Raiders are preparing to take Fernando Mendoza with the No. 1 pick. They were lacking at receiver after trading away Jakobi Meyers last season. This is a slam-dunk signing for Las Vegas.”
Could Raiders Sign Another WR?
The Raiders don’t have a ton of money left to spend, so it’s unlikely they’ll spend big to add a veteran. That said, there are some interesting players still available.
Deebo Samuel has worked with head coach Klint Kubiak before, so he’d make sense. He shouldn’t be expensive at this point in his career. Keenan Allen is getting older, but he had 777 receiving yards last season.
Darnell Mooney has been a productive wide receiver for most of his career, so he should also be on the Raiders’ radar. The team has plenty of speed, so getting a veteran who can make plays in the middle of the field would be a wise move.