Execs unfiltered on NFL Draft for every AFC team: Are things looking up for Jets, Raiders?
By
Mike Sando
May 1, 2026
After
dissecting NFC teams’ drafts Thursday, we’re back with NFL executives’ insights into how all 16 AFC teams handled the annual player selection process.
Did the Buffalo Bills make wise use of all those picks (10) after trading down? Was the Cleveland Browns’ draft as good as the analysts suggested? Do the Houston Texans care what anyone thinks? Should the Indianapolis Colts regret the Sauce Gardner trade? Does anyone have anything good to say about Jaguars general manager James Gladstone? Is it really OK to feel good about the New York Jets?
Execs answer these and many more questions during my annual draft review.
Las Vegas Raiders
Draft capital rank: 3rd | Brugler’s rank: 3rd | Trades up/down: 2/2
The Raiders owned five of the top 101 picks and used most of them on defense after making quarterback Fernando Mendoza the No. 1 pick as expected.
“I think Mendoza will thrive there with Klint Kubiak, but it will take two or three years,” one exec said. “They just don’t have a good enough team.”
The Raiders are on their fourth head coach in four seasons, so any references to two or three years in the future count as highly speculative.
“I like what they’ve done in terms of creating an environment for their young quarterback,” another exec said. “They have an uphill battle in that division, but just from a foundational standpoint, they’ve built in a smart way. Kirk Cousins can hold the fort, you turn to your No. 1 pick when he’s ready and then you have a center (Tyler Linderbaum) that should be playing with him for, hopefully, the majority of his career.”
Cousins signed a deal with guarantees in 2027.
“All indications are they are going to make Mendoza sit,” a third exec said.
Trading back two spots with Houston before selecting safety Treydan Stukes at No. 38 helped land a third-round pick the Raiders used on offensive lineman Trey Zuhn III. Las Vegas moved up one spot to secure cornerback Jermod McCoy, a first-round talent who slid because of medical concerns about his knee, with the first pick in Round 4.
“It’s a cool draft,” a different exec said. “Stukes is old (turns 25 in September), but you get him in the second round. (Keyron) Crawford is probably the best value edge in the class. Zuhn can play center or tackle, so he is an interesting piece. McCoy can be one of the best corners in the league if the knee holds up, but as I understand it, if the knee gets hurt again, he’s done.”
