The Tankathon thread,i.e., the 2026 Draft

[KillerRaider30]

https://www.tankathon.com/nfl

[Dr Death]

Is Mendoza that guy?

He is.... considering what we have now.

[raiders93]

He is.... considering what we have now.

I’m past the point of trying to play GM but would much rather watch a guy with potential than the same never-beens we’ve paraded out there for the last 3 years.

One thing is for certain though… you can’t send a rookie out there with the team we’ve got now. This offence could’ve turned Luck into a bust. Some serious money needs to go into the o-line and receiver spots.

[ALLRAIDERWORLD21]

Tennessee, New Orleans and the Giants in front of us. If they all stand pat I wouldn't expect any of them to take a QB. However, I totally expect them to all trade back if possible.

It’s impossible for the Saints and Tennessee to stand pat as they play each other in week 16. Saints play the Jets in week 15. Raiders play the Giants week 16 as well and Dart should be back. Someone’s gotta win.

[Opoponax50]

It’s impossible for the Saints and Tennessee to stand pat as they play each other in week 16. Saints play the Jets in week 15. Raiders play the Giants week 16 as well and Dart should be back. Someone’s gotta win.

For just one f'ing time in the last 20+ years it'd be nice if the chips fell our way just once.

I think the Jets beat the Saints though, but at the same time I think we'll lose to the Giants. They're a better team all around and they have their QB of the future so they have every good reason to want to keep improving. IOW, they'll be picking top 10, so they can draft BPA/BPA for position without having to worry trading up or down.

I think we'll be competing with NO for the #1 QB spot.

[Sloth_Fratelli]

NO might. They don't have a franchise QB, so it's highly likely they draft a QB. But there's no can't miss guys in this one, so the success of any of the current top 3 will depend on the coaching staff they go to.

God help them.

Boss is a Saints fan. He says that rookie they drafted has looked good at times. Will that be enough for them NOT to take a quarterback? IDK, but he said he wouldn’t be shocked if they stuck with him

[WolfRaider]

Is Mendoza that guy?

He’s my clear QB1, just because I’d be confident out of everyone he’d be able to operate a system in the NFL. Not sure he’d be elite though.

If we take him top3, we might see ourselves with a middling QB and missed out on some fantastic defensive players, end up kicking ourselves

[DeathStar24]

Can anyone see a scenario where the Raiders have the #1 pick and a QB with elegibility left says....I think I'll collect a few mil more to stay in College another year.

I would....Would you?

No doubt. And if so, trade down and collect more draft capital. This team isn't a QB from being playoff ready, let alone a contender.

[DeathStar24]

Honestly with how bad this team is, I'd go BPA if it's not #1 overall. If they do get lucky to pick 1, trade down and get more picks.

[rcraider]

Honestly with how bad this team is, I'd go BPA if it's not #1 overall. If they do get lucky to pick 1, trade down and get more picks.

If the Raiders had the #1 pick and a team like the Jets came offering a bounty I would do it. Than take a flier on day 2-3 QB and draft another QB next year. I just don't see an elite QB in this draft.

[RunOverByHubbard]

A friend who follows college told me yesterday that both Moore and Simpson are likely staying in college next season leaving just Mendoza. I am not going to research it. There are a few blue chip linemen that will be there for us and one LB.

Sadly, I think we should trade Maxx in the off season leaving us with just one great player. I played golf with a guy who knows Brock Bowers and his family well. He says Bowers is a great human being and is a lot bigger dude than he looks to be on TV.

You could see this meltdown of a team coming a mile away in preseason. A bad offensive line and a no-name defense with only Maxx. Koonce looks to be cooked and the back seven is bottom tier. Hey Ty Wilson made a couple of plays yesterday although I only watch highlights so I don’t know how he played otherwise.

[DeathStar24]

If the Raiders had the #1 pick and a team like the Jets came offering a bounty I would do it. Than take a flier on day 2-3 QB and draft another QB next year. I just don't see an elite QB in this draft.

That's how I am with the 26' QB class. I just don't see "It" with any of them. Of couse I've been wrong on guys who I thought would be that guy. Trevor Lawrence comes to mind.

[haji81872]

We had people pounding the table to draft Klubnik if he came out last year. Drew Allar had people singing his praises and that we should be considered for us in the first. Nussmeirer was a guy we should have traded back into the first round for. Carson Beck was going to go #1 as was Spencer Rattler once upon a time. They all went back for another year and is has shown to be an unwise decision.

Three points with this:

1. People all the time say we should just have the board do the draft picks. I always say thank goodness they don't.

2. Agents are going to see this and I think you will have players leave when have good hype unlike the past where guys stuck around for one more year. It has turned out to be a disaster for a bunch of QB's from last season who were thought #1 locks.

3. QB is such a crapshoot. Draft one. Quite waiting around for the next big thing or the next draft that looks like it will be better at QB. If Menodza is there take him. If you realize it was a mistake, draft one next year and the next until you get it right.

[Willmark]

Doubt the Titans or the Saints draft a QB, even if they land ahead of us.

As for us? Until we solve QB via the draft, nothing we do matters.

[CWood24]

I could see a draft where Mendoza, Simpson & Moore all come out & simply because of the amount of falling stock we have seen with QB over the last few years.

Staying in college seems to be the bigger risk as the Joe Burrows, Jayden Daniels rise up the boards don’t happen that often

Which the amount of QB needed teams at the top of the draft they are more than likely guaranteed to go in the top 5 & top 5 money outweighs NIL money

Mendoza, Simpson & Moore might have to take the chance in 2026 when there stock is at it’s highest because 2027 could be an even tough class compete in

Whether they are top 5 talents is another arguement people talk about money people talk about

In the last 10 years the only can’t miss prospect we’ve seen who has had any real success is Joe Burrows & even then injuries have hit him hard so it’s time to stop waiting for the perfect option & throw some mud (or shit in our case) on the wall & see what sticks as it’s the only real way we’re gonna find our guy

[rcraider]

We had people pounding the table to draft Klubnik if he came out last year. Drew Allar had people singing his praises and that we should be considered for us in the first. Nussmeirer was a guy we should have traded back into the first round for. Carson Beck was going to go #1 as was Spencer Rattler once upon a time. They all went back for another year and is has shown to be an unwise decision.

Three points with this:

1. People all the time say we should just have the board do the draft picks. I always say thank goodness they don't.

2. Agents are going to see this and I think you will have players leave when have good hype unlike the past where guys stuck around for one more year. It has turned out to be a disaster for a bunch of QB's from last season who were thought #1 locks.

3. QB is such a crapshoot. Draft one. Quite waiting around for the next big thing or the next draft that looks like it will be better at QB. If Menodza is there take him. If you realize it was a mistake, draft one next year and the next until you get it right.

The only one that might have been a bad decision is Allar but that's debatable, he still made around 3 million in NIL. Beck made 10 million in NIL deals by returning and he more than likely improved his draft stock, I guess he wasn't very smart. Nussmeier and Klubnik both made over 4 million their draft stock probably fell. We will see how many underclassmen declare this year but because of NIL money it's less and less every year. No agent that's not a complete moron is going to tell a college athlete to bypass guaranteed NIL money to leave early to "maybe" get drafted high.