Everyone was talking about Fernando Mendoza on Thursday night, and rightfully so. The Raiders finally have their franchise quarterback, and this story will dominate the conversation for years. But Day 2 is where front offices show who they really are — and in Las Vegas, GM Jon Spitek gave us a few things to like and at least one decision to take back.
Did the attackers miss a gem the next day?
Let's start with the one that is stuck in my claws.
When the Raiders and Texans made their trade — Las Vegas sent picks 36 and 117 to Houston in exchange for picks 38 and 91 — I got the logic on paper. You drop two spots, pick a third rounder, and you're still getting your guy. But here's the problem: The guy Houston wanted was Kayden McDonald, and I wanted the Raiders to take him. McDonald certainly could have gone in the first round – a rare playmaker at nose tackle weighing 330 pounds with elite production. This is not an exaggeration. He's a generational interior guard, and the Raiders let him slide two spots off the board so they could get an extra pick.
I understand the draft-capital argument. I do. But there's a version of this where you stay at 36, grab a McDonald's, and your defensive line looks completely different in 2026. You don't always get those players. Spytek called it a great move and said he believed Stukes would still be there and that he only needed to survive two picks to get his partner. Good. But the 36-year-old "our guy" could be a Pro Bowl-caliber nose tackle. Instead, McDonald's is in Houston.
Now, to be fair, what the Raiders did with those picks is not without merit.
Spytek improves Raiders roster at points of need
Traydon Stukes, 38, addresses a real need. The Raiders' secondary entered the draft at safety and nickelback, and Stucks can do both. He played free safety for three years at Arizona before being shifted to primarily cover the slot, and he recorded four interceptions last season. The concern is age – he's an older guy and may be limited at max range – and that's a legitimate knock. But the attackers were not making choices in a vacuum. They need athletes there, and Stukes fits a real hole.
At 67, they added edge rusher Kieron Crawford from Auburn, a former basketball player with good athleticism who could use development but can contribute immediately as a pass-rusher. With Max Crosby still presenting that line, Crawford doesn't need to be an immediate impact guy. He just has to grow, and there's a fair way.
Raiders best pick of day two
Then came the pick that I really liked the most the other day. With the 91st pick – the third-rounder they got from Houston – the Raiders took Texas A&M guard Trey Zuhn III, who adds versatility to the offensive line, having played multiple positions in the trenches in college. If Fernando Mendoza is the future, protecting him is the present. Zuhn fits into that priority. After spending two third-rounders on offensive linemen in Caleb Rogers and Charles Grant last year, the Raiders are bringing in young talent, which is exactly the right approach when you've handed your offense over to a 22-year-old quarterback who is making his first NFL start.
So where does that leave us after two days? The Raiders' base is in Mendoza. They've added secondary help, depth on the edge and another piece to the offensive line. By most measures this is a functional draft. The choice of Stukes is reasonable, even if it doesn't excite you. Crawford is a project with upside. The Zuhn was really good value.
But I keep coming back to Kayden McDonald. Getting a 330-pound nose tackle with that kind of production at this price doesn't come often, and the Raiders pounced on him the first time around. Instead he chose business. Maybe SpyTech's board told him he was stuck and an extra pick would be the better play. Maybe it was. We won't know for three years.
What we do know is that after a decade of wandering in the desert, the Raiders have a plan, a quarterback, and a draft class that, at least, doesn't blow it before it starts. This matters more than ever in Las Vegas.
