Mailbag: What position will Las Vegas Raiders target with 36th pick of 2026 NFL draft?

We’re lower than three weeks away from the Las Vegas Raiders being on the clock to kick off the 2026 NFL Draft, possible marking the start of the Fernando Mendoza period in Las Vegas. However the Raiders’ roster has loads of different holes to fill, and John Spytek has 9 different draft picks (barring any trades) to plug them up. So, we’re specializing in the second spherical and past on this week’s mailbag. Let’s get to it!

Nunchucks

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Hey Matt…At choose 36…Can we go NT, x WR or S???…All three appear to be evident holes.

A: You’re proper that these are important wants heading into the draft, however I feel the Raiders are in a spot the place they’ll let the draft board fall to them and go along with a finest participant out there strategy at choose 36. May that find yourself being somebody who performs a kind of three positions? Definitely, particularly if there’s an anticipated first-rounder that slides on day one.

Nonetheless, don’t be stunned if a gifted edge-rusher, cornerback, and many others., slips, and Spytek takes somebody increased on his board moderately than filling an apparent or extra important want. Las Vegas has been within the enterprise of amassing younger expertise to get the rebuild going this offseason, and drafting a extra gifted participant versus reaching for a necessity falls consistent with that technique.

That being mentioned, I may see a situation the place a nostril deal with is the ‘BPA’, primarily based on present draft projections. Guys like Ohio State’s Kayden McDonald and Texas Tech’s Lee Hunter had been getting some first-round love a few months in the past, however each of their draft shares appeared to have cooled off since then, the place each might be out there at 36.

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Additionally, Georgia’s Christen Miller seems to be trending upward lately, and it looks as if we may see three safeties taken in spherical one: Ohio State’s Caleb Downs, Oregon’s Dillon Theineman and Toledo’s Emmanuel McNeil-Warren. Plus, there’s sometimes a run on broad receivers on the primary evening of the draft. So, if I needed to choose between the three positions in query, I’d go along with nostril deal with.

Q: You’ll be able to solely choose one. Kayden McDonald, Denzel Boston or Caleb Lomu have fallen to 36. Which one are you taking?

A: Properly, groups can solely draft one participant at a time anyway, LOL!

Lomu is an attention-grabbing choice right here as a result of he appears to be on the perimeter of the primary and second rounds, so there’s some BPA worth with him. Additionally, that will give the Raiders one other instant proper deal with choice and a possible long-term alternative for Kolton Miller, who will likely be 31 years previous in October.

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Nonetheless, I’m not that offered on Lomu, and asking him to change from left to proper makes him an even bigger venture, which the Raiders have already got at proper deal with with DJ Glaze and Charles Grant. Plus, Grant is one other candidate to probably substitute Miller down the road. So, I’d pivot to McDonald, filling the instant want at nostril deal with whereas additionally offering worth on the draft slot (in different phrases, not a attain).

You all have been sending quite a lot of these questions my method lately—and preserve them coming, I get pleasure from answering them as a result of it makes me suppose by the draft decision-making—however most have McDonald thrown in there. It is sensible due to the necessity and that appears to be his draft vary, however know that more often than not, if he’s included, that’s who I’m going with. LOL!

I’ve a factor for defensive linemen and like his recreation rather a lot, the place McDonald goes to be my best choice for the Raiders within the second spherical as a rule. So let’s combine it up over the subsequent few weeks and hit me with just a few different names, or perhaps even dive a bit bit additional into the draft and have a look at the third spherical!

TVRaider

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Kinda suppose the Raiders might very nicely go OT at #36. Who do you suppose will nonetheless be there?

Caleb Lomu, Blake Miller, Max Iheanachor?

A: Of the three, I feel Iheanachor is the most secure guess to be out there at 36.

I simply touched on Lomu, and Miller is an attention-grabbing one the place I may see a Tremendous Bowl contender that wants a direct starter at proper deal with taking him within the backend of spherical one. The Clemson product has the dimensions and traits to justify a first-round choice, and 4 years of beginning expertise at proper deal with in school could be intriguing for a staff that’s targeted on profitable now.

In the meantime, Iheanachor is a extra uncooked prospect since he didn’t begin enjoying soccer till he started junior school in 2021. So, groups on the finish of the primary spherical which can be in search of instant contributors may move on the previous Solar Satan.

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That being mentioned, I’m not so positive the Raiders will goal an offensive deal with earlier than Day 3 of the draft.

The teaching workers appears content material to let Glaze and Grant battle it out in coaching camp and is chalking up quite a lot of final yr’s struggles on the Carrolls. Additionally, after taking warmth for drafting two offensive linemen within the High 100 through the 2025 draft and them not getting enjoying time through the season, I don’t suppose Spytek could be eager on strolling into that state of affairs once more.

If it’s a three-way place battle at proper deal with and say Glaze wins the job, that’s one other yr that Grant doesn’t get many recreation reps and back-to-back draft courses the place extremely drafted offensive lineman doesn’t get a lot enjoying time in Iheanachor. Even when Glaze strikes inside and the competitors is between Grant and Iheanachor, not less than one prime 100 choose from the final two drafts is driving the bench.

Offensive line isn’t like different positions the place guys continually rotate out and in of the sport, which blurs the strains in the case of BPA technique talked about above. If Las Vegas drafts an edge rusher or cornerback at 36, not less than they’ll contribute on third downs and get some enjoying time as a rookie.

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Q: Private favourite mid-round DB targets so as to add depth at S/CB?

A: Particularly if the Raiders don’t draft a security within the second spherical, I’m pounding the desk for Bud Clark out of TCU within the third or fourth. Clark is one in every of “my guys” within the draft and could be the ballhawk that the protection has been lacking over the previous couple of years. I additionally like Genesis Smith from Arizona and Indiana’s Louis Moore as a few further mid-round choices at free security.

At cornerback, South Carolina’s Jalon Kilgore is an attention-grabbing nickelback/sturdy security choice. I additionally like Chandler Rivers out of Duke to fill a task much like what Amik Robertson used to do, as an undersized nook who has inside-outside versatility to be a worthwhile backup/spot starter. On the surface, Daylen Everette from Georgia has traits which can be price betting on on this vary of the draft.

Q: I’m excited to see what Michael Mayer and Brock Bowers could possibly do if we lastly get to see a full season out of each of them collectively. However, with each of them having missed some video games, do you suppose Spytek could also be taking a look at a decent finish within the draft to again them up?

A: Barring a Bowers-like shock through the draft, I don’t see Spytek drafting a decent finish earlier than day three. Nonetheless, I do agree with the general level on this query that tight finish might be a sneaky want. The offense may use one other blocker within the place group proper now, and Mayer is getting into a contract yr. Particularly since Klint Kubiak likes to make use of 12 personnel, a decent finish is actually on the desk in spherical 4 or later.

Control Stanford’s Sam Roush. Proper now, he’s a greater blocker than receiver, however is a superb athlete who earned a 9.94 RAS on the NFL Mix to turn into a greater pass-catcher and well-rounded tight finish down the road. That provides the offense one other blocking tight finish in 2026 and a possible long-term alternative for Mayer, saving wage cap area for what will likely be a market-resetting contract extension with Bowers.

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It wouldn’t shock me if Roush will get taken on Day 2, however he does have a fourth-round projection on NFL Mock Draft Database’s consensus huge board and ranks a hundred and tenth total, as of April 3. In the meantime, the Silver and Black personal picks 102 and 117.

Raiderallus

Mendoza is three weeks away from formally becoming a member of the Las Vegas Raiders Simple set off. Are you not afraid of incurring the wrath of Murphy’s regulation? I’m not superstitious however I’m a bit stitious

It’s unhealthy luck to be superstitious

A: As a Raider fan who has endured the final 20-plus years, I’ve seen loads of “what can go incorrect, will” situations, so I stay in fixed concern of Murphy’s Legislation in the case of the Silver and Black. LOL! So, that’s actually on my thoughts with Mendoza, however I’m selecting to disregard it for now!

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Q: What are the variations between the 3-4 protection that new coaches name versus my favourite one, old style Wade Phillips that used to blitz from each angle?

A: Most 3-4 coaches are rather a lot much less blitz-happy than Phillips was in his heyday, that’s for positive. Most fashionable coordinators will preserve it fairly vanilla on first and second downs or run conditions, after which lean on simulated pressures for third downs or passing conditions. The latter forces offensive strains to account for six to seven defenders of their safety scheme, serving to to create a free rusher for the protection with out having to sacrifice the variety of protection defenders, since one or two are going to drop into protection.

In different phrases, a protection can have the identical impact as a blitz with solely 4 or 5 pass-rushers.

The rise of sim pressures and why defensive coordinators have been utilizing them extra usually within the final decade or so is tied to the rise of the passing recreation. Within the 80s, 90s and even early 2000s, when Phillips was rising to prominence within the NFL, most offenses operated out of 21 personnel with a fullback and a decent finish within the recreation, so there have been solely two receivers on the sector.

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With two corners within the recreation, defenses didn’t have to fret as a lot about protection mismatches (i.e. a large receiver on a linebacker or security), so they might get away with blitzing extra continuously. Then, the passing growth within the late 2000s to early 2010s and unfold offenses began making their method into the skilled degree.

That made fullbacks much less widespread as offenses began utilizing extra 11 and 10 personnel, that means extra broad receivers had been on the sector, rising the danger of protection mismatches. Additionally, tight ends began turning into huge broad receivers. Jimmy Graham is a good instance of that. So, with offenses trending towards three-receiver units and extra athletic tight ends, defenses couldn’t blitz as a lot as a result of that meant leaving not less than one defender out to dry.

The way in which to nullify that problem is to have extra defenders in protection to create a numbers benefit: seven defenders to cowl, at most, 5 pass-catching threats.

Additionally, Kubiak alluded to this through the house owners’ assembly, telling reporters that Rob Leonard isn’t only a 3-4 man and can possible use quite a lot of fronts as defensive coordinator. The distinction between a 3-4 and a 4-3 scheme isn’t as important because it was up to now.

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Tied again to the rise of the passing recreation, defenses are in nickel personnel (5 defensive backs, six defensive linemen and linebackers) extra usually than they’re in base (4 defensive backs, seven defensive linemen and linebackers), usually talking.

So, there’s fairly a little bit of crossover between fashionable 3-4 and 4-3 defenses since both scheme goes to have simply six front-seven defenders on the sector a very good proportion of the time. The less entrance gamers you could have, the much less number of fronts you’ll be able to run.

Now, coordinators are nonetheless going to need to draft or add gamers who match their “base” packages, however the distinction between the 2 kinds of protection isn’t as important because it was once with nickel personnel rising in popularity. These days, the larger distinction is who the additional defensive again replaces: the nostril deal with, a defensive finish/deal with or a linebacker, which might differ from coach to educate and philosophy to philosophy.

Lengthy story brief, within the fashionable 3-4 protection, anticipate to see extra simulated pressures than blitzes and six-man containers than what you is perhaps used to or anticipating from the previous.

That’ll do it for this week’s mailbag. Thanks all for submitting questions and, as your weekly reminder, in case you’d wish to have your questions answered in a future column, tweet them at me, @MHolder95, e mail them to SBPQuestions1@gmail.com or search for our weekly name for questions on the positioning. The latter will proceed to publish on Thursdays.