Raiders Land Qb Defensive Difference Maker In This 2 Round Mock Draft

Bonisiwe Shabane

-Nov 17, 2025, 1:08 AM

raiders land qb defensive difference maker in this 2 round mock draft

If the 2025 NFL season has taught fans of the Las Vegas Raiders anything, it is that this team is more than just a few pieces away. The roster needs more firepower at every position other than tight end, running back and left tackle, but even then, the latter two could have their depth bolstered. Some positions stick out as bigger needs than others, however, like quarterback, defensive tackle and cornerback. Luckily, the 2026 NFL Draft class is supposed to have difference-makers at each of these spots, and it'll be up to general manager John Spytek to seek them out. While Raider Nation is largely in the camp of drafting a quarterback in the first round, something the franchise has not done since 2007, there is an argument to be made for snagging a... A to Z Sports' Ryan Roberts and Joe DeLeone released their latest 2-round mock draft, and they had Las Vegas follow this exact strategy.

In the first round, they projected the Raiders to draft Clemson defensive tackle Peter Woods. "After the Christian Wilkins situation, defensive tackle has become a major need once again for the Raiders," Roberts wrote. "While Clemson has struggled in 2025, Woods has continued to play quality football. He is a ball of chaos at around 6-2 and 315 pounds, possessing rare movement skills for his size." The College Football regular season is nearing its end. For us, that means that mock draft season is heating up.

This particular 2026 NFL Mock Draft features 2 rounds, but no trades. I also used NFL Mock Draft Database for this mock draft, which I highlighted in this particular article as my favorite draft simulator. Without further ado, let’s get to mocking. The Titans have their work cut out for them if they want to improve this offseason. They should have about $19.5 million in cap space, but lack significant draft capital. Rueben Bain or Arvell Reese would be good options for Tennessee on the defensive front seven.

Demario Davis and Cameron Jordan are both set to hit free agency this offseason. The Saints have young pieces across their depth chart, except for their defensive front seven. They found their quarterback in Tyler Shough last season, so let’s have them find their franchise piece on defense in round one. There will be a new head coach in New York, but the task remains the same – build around QB Jaxson Dart. The Giants have one of the worst offensive lines in the NFL. Andrew Thomas has proven his worth at left tackle.

If they choose, Fano would be a suitable replacement for Jermaine Eluemunor at right tackle. NFL Week 10 action featured plenty of surprising results that shook up the projected order of the 2026 NFL Draft. The New Orleans Saints entered the weekend in place for the No. 1 pick but thoroughly beat NFC South foe Carolina to drop from the top spot. The New York Jets got win No. 2 of the Aaron Glenn era over the Cleveland Browns, dropping down the order as well.

Their neighbors, the New York Giants, squandered a lead and lost to the Chicago Bears to overtake them in the top three of the draft order. The Giants fired Brian Daboll following the loss - making it more likely they'll stay near the top of the draft order. Those results leave Tennessee at the No. 1 pick after 10 weeks of NFL games. Tennessee already has a quarterback of the future and could be the first team to draft No. 1 overall in consecutive years since fellow AFC South franchise Jacksonville did so in 2021 and 2022.

They'll likely take their top non-quarterback prospect in the class. Who that player is is up for debate but most likely a defensive player. The Las Vegas Raiders have to land a franchise QB in the 2025 NFL Draft. Will they be able to do it in this mock draft? Not only did they make one major move to hire Pete Carroll as their new head coach, but they also hired Chip Kelly as their offensive coordinator, which may be an even bolder move. The Raiders are clearly investing a ton of resources into this era, and one of the many things that are missing from this franchise is a viable quarterback.

We'll see what kind of plan Carroll and co. can put in place to restore this franchise back to its previous winning ways. Can they dig out of the abyss with this NFL mock draft? With both Shedeur Sanders and Cam Ward off the board, the Las Vegas Raiders opt to bolster their WR room and will draft Tetairoa McMillan from Arizona in this mock draft. Whoever plays QB for the Raiders will now have a top-notch target to throw to. Some decent value here in the second round, Las Vegas drafts Jalen Milroe from Alabama.

It would not shock me to see the Raiders bring in a one-year bridge QB to give Milroe some time to develop behind the scenes. What the Las Vegas Raiders will end up doing on draft day is truly anyone’s guess. Raider Nation can at least take some comfort in knowing that general manager Tom Telesco has a notable track record with this event. There’s been tons of conjecture and hearsay about the Raiders and the route they’ll take. Let’s face it: Raider Nation likes to get itself excited, only to experience the grim reality that can only come with disappointment. Still, when you take into account the success that Telesco experienced with the Los Angeles Chargers, you’d be hard-pressed to have some optimism.

That’s especially true in the first two rounds. With that being said, let’s look at what a realistic scenario might look like in those pivotal rounds. And by realistic, we mean no illusions of grandeur with regard to a “blockbuster trade.” This offseason, the Raiders need another cornerback; the room is looking rather thin these days. Sure, it’s far from empty, but outside of Jack Jones and Nate Hobbs, a casual fan would have trouble naming any other players from that group. Defensive coordinator Patrick Graham needs another playmaker; enter Toledo’s Quinyon Mitchell.

Landing a quarterback in the 2024 NFL draft is all the rage among Las Vegas Raiders fans, and rightly so, as the team doesn't have a true difference-maker at the position, which is a... In his latest two-round mock draft, ESPN's Mel Kiper did not draft a quarterback for the Raiders. Instead, he took Oregon State offensive tackle Taliese Fuaga in the first round and Missouri cornerback Ennis Rakestraw in the second. Las Vegas could be another team to watch for the edge rushers, but I don't think it can ignore its void at right tackle, particularly in this great class. Fuaga, one of my favorite prospects in this draft, is a punishing blocker who plays with nastiness. He allowed just one sack over the past two seasons while playing right tackle for the Beavers.

He and veteran Kolton Miller would make a solid duo of bookends. Cornerback is the other position I considered for the Raiders, with Terrion Arnold (Alabama) likely to go in this range. The Raiders were in flux at cornerback last season, as they brought in former Patriots corner Jack Jones at midseason and then released veteran Marcus Peters in late November. Starter Amik Robertson left for Detroit in free agency. There are still issues here. Rakestraw is a fiesty defender who does the little things well and doesn't get beaten deep.

In case you were curious, Kiper has the Washington Commanders taking LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels at No. 2 overall, and the Los Angeles Rams trading up to No. 37 for Washington signal-caller Michael Penix Jr. Technically, rookie Tyler Shough is the Saints' starter for the rest of the season. When New Orleans goes on the clock in the 2026 NFL Draft, Shough will almost certainly become the latest high-round pick whose team uses an even higher-round pick 12 months later in the hopes... The Panthers did it in 2011 when they took Cam Newton No.

1 overall, and the Cardinals did it eight years later when they selected Kyler Murray with the top pick. And as we sit here, nine weeks into the 2026 season, the Saints are staring that first-overall selection in the face. There will no doubt be discussions in the building about trading down and what such a draft haul might do to reset this roster, but if the organization feels that Fernando Mendoza or Ty... Former Titans GM Ran Carthon and I talked about this last week on "With the First Pick," our NFL Draft podcast: In my Mock Draft 2.0, I have just three QBs going in the first round -- and one via trade; after trading down from No. 2 to No.

5 last April, the Browns move up from No. 6 to No. 2 in this excerise for a quarterback. And much like the conversation surrounding Shough, it's fair to assume that neither Dylan Gabriel or Shedeur Sanders (or any other QB currently on Cleveland's roster) will be penciled in as the 2026 starter... Beating the Jaguars on Sunday afternoon was good for the morale inside the Las Vegas Raiders' locker room but it was bad for the franchise's draft position. Getting to three wins might cost Las Vegas the opportunity to land their quarterback of the future at the top of next April's draft.

A trade up to nab someone like Shedeur Sanders or Cam Ward could always be a gamble the Raiders see as worth taking. On the other hand, this roster is fill with numerous holes that need to be filled in the offseason. Las Vegas has a load of free agent cash to spend, but they need to come out of the draft with starters at numerous positions. The Raiders can get good value if they stand pat in the first three rounds. Here's how GM Tom Telesco and his staff can really get the most out of the early rounds of next year's NFL Draft. No quarterback can be successful for the Raiders in 2025 if he's forced to work with the same group of receivers they've trotted out this year.

That's why landing Tetairoa in Round 1 could be a masterstroke. The former Arizona standout is just the sort of big-bodied wide receiver who can turn average throws into big gains down the field. He may not possess exceptional speed but he can run every route in the playbook. That, combined with his outstanding catch radius makes him a good bet to make an impact as a rookie.

Raiders Land Qb Defensive Difference Maker In This 2 Round Mock Draft

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