Vincent Bonsignore: Raiders should keep the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft

Vincent Bonsignore, Las Vegas Review-Journal on Jan 12, 2026

Published in Football

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LAS VEGAS — The Las Vegas Raiders don’t just hold the keys to the NFL draft. They have a chance to solve the quarterback riddle that has befuddled them for decades.

With the No. 1 pick, they can draft a quarterback capable of changing the trajectory of their franchise in Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza.

They are not beholden to any other team’s draft plans. They don’t have to sweat out the first few picks, hoping their guy falls to them. They don’t have to part ways with valuable assets to move up to get their quarterback. They don’t have to worry about another team jumping in front of them and stealing him.

All they have to do is scribble the name Mendoza on a card, hand it to NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and all their quarterback problems will potentially go away.

That doesn’t guarantee Mendoza will be a franchise-caliber quarterback. Numerous variables will determine this. But if the Raiders are convinced he can be, they should sprint to Goodell and hand him the card on draft night.

As far as trading the pick to accumulate more draft capital and circling back to quarterback in the 2027 draft, that sounds fantastic in theory.

But this isn’t Madden, where you can press some buttons and make any scenario come to life. Short of someone guaranteeing the Raiders will be in position to secure Texas’ Arch Manning or Notre Dame’s CJ Carr next year — hint, no one can — then make the pick now.

Some would argue the Raiders could use the draft assets they would accumulate by trading this year’s No. 1 pick to trade up next year to get their quarterback.

I would remind them of the 2024 draft when the Raiders were willing to part with just about any combination of present and future draft picks to secure Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels or Drake Maye.

The problem: The Chicago Bears, Washington Commanders and New England Patriots needed quarterbacks just as much as the Raiders did and held those prospects in as high esteem as they did.

That’s the problem with trading down this year with the idea of trading up next year. The Raiders have no idea what next year’s draft will look like and how locked in to quarterbacks other teams might be.

The point is, the Raiders hold all the cards this year. They have no idea if they will have this type of access to a potentially franchise-changing quarterback again.

The Raiders’ offensive line is bad, many argue. They are taking a risk lining up Mendoza behind a group that couldn’t protect Geno Smith this season. They need to build the offensive line first, then draft their quarterback, they say.

Do the same people not understand how bad the Bears’ offensive line was in Williams’ rookie season? Or the Patriots’ in Maye’s first year?

Williams was sacked an NFL-high 68 times as a rookie. Maye was sacked 34 times. Their teams won a combined nine games.

Guess what? Neither quarterback was broken by the struggles. Both grew from them. Better yet, their teams used free agency, trades and the draft to improve their offensive lines in year two.

Williams and Maye were far better this season than last and led their teams to the playoffs.

Rule of thumb: If you have the first pick, it usually means you are a bad team. Chances are it will take years to rebuild around that young quarterback. There is an even stronger likelihood that it will be a struggle early on.

But that can’t be the reason you pass on a franchise-caliber quarterback. Be confident, not scared. Trust your staff and your ability to build the infrastructure around Mendoza. If you are afraid of the challenge, maybe you aren’t cut out for the job.

The Raiders finally have a chance to change the trajectory of their franchise. This isn’t the time to cower in fear of the challenges. The days of kicking the quarterback can down the road are over.

If the Raiders believe Mendoza is the guy, they need to keep the pick.

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