The Las Vegas Raiders are mulling over what they intend to do with the No. 1 overall pick. While there are still a couple of months before the 2026 NFL Draft in April, the rumor mill is churning out potential trade options for the Silver and Black.
On Jan. 20, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler published an NFL executive predictions piece, including one from an NFL personnel evaluator predicting the Raiders trading for Baltimore Ravens QB Lamar Jackson.
“It just seems like there’s been some consternation there with Lamar and the Ravens, and this would be the ultimate Mark Davis move,” an NFL personnel evaluator said. “I’m not even convinced everybody with Vegas would be on board with it but it would instantly solve their quarterback problems.”
Any potential move for Jackson would likely involve the No. 1 pick, and former Raiders offensive lineman Lincoln Kennedy noted that there’s no way he’s trading the top selection for the Ravens star.
“It’s hell to the nah,” Kennedy said on the Jan. 20 edition of the “Locked On Raiders” podcast. “The thing is that I’ve seen some good times out of Lamar Jackson, but I think he’s taken some hellacious hits over his career… I’ve seen Lamar Jackson take some hits, and I do think he’s past his prime in the sense [that] if you’re going to make a trade for him of this magnitude, you’re not going to get what you want on the other end.”
Lamar Jackson in a Raiders Rebuild Doesn’t Fit
Moreover, Kennedy noted that Jackson doesn’t fit the Raiders timeline as Las Vegas are currently in a rebuild and not a QB away from contention.
“You’ve got to have a system that’s conducive to someone like Jackson’s skill set, and that’s a big change for where the Raiders are right now,” Kennedy added. “… I would not even entertain this idea. I’m not trying to make it make light of the situation.
“I know the Raiders are in a position where they need help. Granted, and I’m saying Lamar Jackson is an MVP candidate and MVP player and has done that success, but hell to the nah. I do not make that trade.”
By selecting Indiana Hoosiers QB Fernando Mendoza, the Raiders can take advantage of having a signal-caller on a rookie contract and use their cap space for improving other aspects of their team rather than having someone like Jackson take that up.
Fernando Mendoza Can Help Turn the Raiders Around
While the Raiders mull that decision following his national title performance, former NFL player Emmanuel Acho didn’t hold back on his hopes that Mendoza can turn the Silver and Black around.
“If anybody can [turn the Raiders around], Mendoza can do it,” Acho said on the Jan. 19 edition of “Speakeasy.” “And here’s why. It’s not because he has some unfathomable skill set. It’s that he’s a very unflappable quarterback. He’s going to go in there like a veteran. Mendoza is not going to be the guy that you got to worry about as a quarterback off the field. You can check the box of, it’s not going to be any off-the-field thing that distracts Mendoza from being great.
“Then, you think about what did he do at Indiana? He’s already had one of the most historic turnarounds we’ve ever seen at the collegiate level, which is the feeder system into the pros. If Mendoza can have a historic turnaround at the collegiate level, he has the DNA to do it at the NFL level. Turning Indiana around is a greater feat than turning the Raiders around. Turning the Raiders around is a gigantic feat.”
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