Las Vegas Raiders Could Find Fernando Mendoza's WR1 in 2027 NFL Draft
The Las Vegas Raiders have put their faith in the future of their franchise into rookie quarterback Fernando Mendoza out of Indiana.
The Heisman Award-winning signal-caller is only beginning his journey in Sin City, but there are already projections that the Raiders could be setting themselves up to find him his franchise wideout of the future in next year’s draft.
While the 2027 NFL Draft is expected to be full of teams jumping up to get one of the prized QBs, the Raiders have the luxury of taking a different approach with Mendoza on the roster.
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“[Cam] Coleman excelled in two seasons at Auburn despite inconsistent QB play, finishing last season with 56 catches for 708 receiving yards and five touchdowns,” ESPN’s Jordan Reid wrote in his 2027 NFL Mock Draft.
“Transferring to Texas and pairing up with Manning could unlock even more production, as he’s a sure-handed target with good hands. That would be ideal for the Raiders, who need a No. 1 wide receiver to help the development of this year’s top pick, Fernando Mendoza.”
The first year for Mendoza in Vegas shouldn’t, and most likely won’t be about winning.
If that means Mendoza has to sit on the bench for parts of, or even a majority of, the season to learn behind Kirk Cousins, the Raiders should take that approach.
The AFC West isn’t a division that the Raiders can instantly compete in, even if Mendoza turns out to be a special talent, so 2026 should be a coming-of-age story if anything, with Las Vegas hoping to be in the top-10 range to snap on Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith or, as Reid predicts, Coleman out of Texas.
In 2025, the Raiders got their running back of the future in Ashton Jeanty. In 2026, they picked Mendoza. And in 2027, their aim should be the best wideout they can get to truly create their offensive nucleus for the present and beyond.
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This story was originally published May 1, 2026 at 1:12 PM.