Fernando Mendoza is the consensus first overall pick to the Las Vegas Raiders, but there seem to be some questions about how the rest of the 2026 NFL Draft will play out. It isn’t a loaded draft from a quarterback perspective, and it doesn’t boast the top talent of a class like the one coming in 2027 that includes Arch Manning and Jeremiah Smith. For teams that are staring at a lengthy rebuild, it could be advantageous for them to use their picks at this year’s draft to move back and have more opportunities at swings next season, according to Albert Breer via Sports Illustrated.
“Finally, the presence of the 2027 draft will be felt this weekend. I’d expect on all three days, and especially Friday and Saturday, you’ll be hearing about teams trying to move picks to next year. Part of that is because of the quarterbacks that could be available then, of course. But it’s more than that,” Breer reported. “Next year’s class has the sorts of prototypes (like Ohio State WR Jeremiah Smith, South Carolina DE Dylan Stewart, and Notre Dame CB Leonard Moore) that this year’s class lacks.”
Any team other than the Raiders that is looking for a quarterback might wait for the chance to draft Manning. Likewise, a team that wants a game-breaking wide receiver could take defense in this year’s first round in anticipation of next year’s offensive weapons or trade out of their pick to have more chances to take a swing at Smith.
While fans of rebuilding teams might feel underwhelmed by this year’s class, it might be worth sticking around for one more year of tanking to get the chance to take someone generational in 2027.
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