One Raiders Veteran on Chopping Block After Mendoza Pick
The Las Vegas Raiders finally got their guy when they drafted quarterback Fernando Mendoza with the first overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. The Raiders are finally ready to move into a new era of football with their quarterback of the future.
Technically, Aidan O'Connell
Las Vegas added Mendoza after also adding veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins recently. This naturally could lead some to believe the Raiders will move on from Aidan O'Connell. However, O'Connell has shown he can serve as a dependable backup for Las Vegas if needed.
The Raiders would be wise to keep O'Connell in their back pocket, as there are still many unknowns surrounding their group of quarterbacks. With two of the Raiders' three quarterbacks being new additions, they know O'Connell better than any other quarterback on the roster.
O'Connell may not see the field much with Cousins and Mendoza on the team. However, if anything happened to Cousins, the Raiders would need a quarterback they could be confident in alongside Mendoza. O'Connell will be that guy for the Raiders moving forward.
As the Raiders front office looks to trim its roster, the quarterback position does not seem to be one it should cut. Las Vegas has too many needs at other positions to cut from those positions instead of tight end. Mendoza's arrival will create a shift throughout the Raiders' organization in many ways.
Unofficially, TE Albert Okwuegbunam Jr.
As things currently stand, the Raiders have five tight ends on the roster. While it may be easy to suggest they move on from O'Connell, they have already invested in O'Connell. The Raiders also do not know for sure what they have in Kirk Cousins or how long he may hold up.
League rules allow teams to carry three quarterbacks; it makes a lot of sense for the Raiders to keep O'Connell as extra insurance and cut one of their five tight ends. Not only does Las Vegas have five tight ends, they have arguably the best tight end in the league when healthy.
The Raiders have also already added two other wide receivers to their roster this offseason, giving them additional pass catchers and less need for a fifth tight end. In fact, there are few, if any, positions on the Raiders' roster that have enough room to sustain a loss than tight end.
A third quarterback is much more valuable in today's league than a fifth tight end. Raiders general manager John Spytek recently explained how the team will approach its team-building and depth-chart creation after adding talent in the NFL Draft.
"It'll be who the best players are. And if we're doing the math right now, we've got 66 players on the roster and 10 picks, so we'll have 15 undrafted free agents right now," Spytek said at the team's pre-draft press conference.
"Our scouting department is going to do a great job of finding the right guys at the right positions, and guys that will compete and are about the right things and have a chance to make the roster and contribute."
The Raiders have several other areas on their roster that need work. Tight end is not one of those areas. There are more players than one that Las Vegas could decide to move on from to make room for Mendoza. However, few make as much sense as them cutting from their group of tight ends.
All in all, the Raiders are moving in the right direction, and Mendoza is the latest piece of the puzzle. Las Vegas is slowly beginning to turn its roster around. In today's league, you need a solid quarterback to compete consistently. The Raiders finally have theirs.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/raiders/onsi as One Raiders Veteran on Chopping Block After Mendoza Pick.
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This story was originally published April 23, 2026 at 6:25 PM.