Former Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza is widely expected to be the No. 1 overall pick by the Las Vegas Raiders in the 2026 NFL Draft. File Photo by Jon SooHoo/UPI | License Photo
Several teams expressed interest in trading for the Las Vegas Raiders’ No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, general manager John Spytek said.
Spytek made the disclosure during a news conference Tuesday in Henderson, Nev. The Raiders are widely expected to select former Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza with that selection.
“We’ve gotten a few calls and those teams know where they stand right now,” Spytek told reporters.
The Raiders, who were 3-14 last season, hold 10 total picks in the 2026 NFL Draft. They have one selection in each of the first three rounds. The Raiders also hold three fourth-round picks, a fifth-round pick, two sixth-round picks and a seventh-round pick.
Their roster has holes at wide receiver and defensive tackle, in addition to a need at quarterback.
“If there’s a player who stands out that we feel it’s not worth losing, it’s not worth even picking up the phone. Then we’ll just make the pick,” Spytek said.
“But if it’s a player that we’re not as excited about, or there’s a group of players that we would love to pick from, and we can get value for that, then we’re certainly open to listening to that.”
General Manager John Spytek and Assistant General Manager Brian Stark address the media prior to the 2026 NFL Draft. https://t.co/IUHmIeme6x— Las Vegas Raiders (@Raiders) April 14, 2026
The Raiders signed veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins this off-season. Mendoza would join a quarterbacks room that includes Aidan O’Connell.
The Raiders traded back twice in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft, Spytek’s first season as a general manager. They built a new draft room and added personnel, including assistant general manager Brian Stark and assistant director of college scouting Johnathon Stigall, since last year’s draft.
“I think, when you get on the clock, unless you are super convicted that you’re making the pick, you kind of just sit there and wait for a little bit and see if your phone will ring,” Spytek said.
“Sometimes, you can get really good trade offers that maybe you didn’t expect and other times your phone doesn’t ring, so then you just pick. We try to be openminded. We try to give ourselves as much time as allotted to make the best decision for the Raiders.”
NFL teams traded the No. 1 overall pick three times since 2001. The latest came in 2023, when the Carolina Panthers acquired the selection from the Chicago Bears and picked quarterback Bryce Young.
