Recently, the NFL Draft took place in Pittsburgh, with teams around the league looking to add talent to help them build for the future. While the Las Vegas Raiders ended up taking quarterback Fernando Mendoza at number one as expected, there were some surprises around the league in this draft, including the Kansas City Chiefs trading up to number six to select cornerback Mansoor Delane.
Now, ESPN NFL Draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. has released his grades for each team from the NFL Draft, and among his winners were the Raiders.
“We’ve known for months that Las Vegas would take Fernando Mendoza at No. 1, but the lack of suspense takes nothing away from the fact the team just landed a franchise QB,” noted Kiper Jr.
He also had praise for two NFC East rivals: The Dallas Cowboys and the Philadelphia Eagles.
Kiper Jr. noted that the Cowboys “made splashes in Round 1, trading up for Caleb Downs and trading down for Malachi Lawrence. Downs fell out of the top 10 despite ranking sixth in my rankings, and Dallas took the opportunity to trade up one spot to get him.”
The Cowboys had a significant need to add defense to what was one of the worst units in the NFL last year, and they did just that with their first three picks coming on that side of the ball.
Meanwhile, Kiper Jr. also praised the Eagles’ selection of Makai Lemon.
“Lemon (No. 11 on my board) is a tough, physical receiver despite his 5-11, 192-pound frame. He snags the ball on the run and turns upfield through traffic without fear, helping him to 1,156 yards in the 2025 season,” he noted.
Overall, it seems that the Cowboys, Raiders, and Eagles all have big things to look forward to after their 2026 draft performances.
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