Raiderstation

Call your shot....or add your own.

Dante Moore:

https://www.nfldraftbuzz.com/Player/Dante-Moore-QB-UCLA

Fernando Mendoza:

https://www.nfldraftbuzz.com/Player/Fer ... California

May the football godz look kindly down upon the feeble and inept.

I would rather swing and miss than not step up to the plate at all. We NEVER have anything positive to look forward to. I am tired of the season being over by Halloween and looking ahead to the draft. Mendoza is a game changer for us plain and simple.

Eisen didn't sound at all like he thought the Raiders shouldn't draft Mendoza. He was asking Kiper for his take on what a lot of draft mediots are talking about. He's an interviewer, conducting an interview. Personally I think Eisen loves the Raiders and likely wants them to draft Mendoza and turn the franchise around.

I like hearing counterpoints, why wouldn't you ask that question? The answer won't kill you, whichever way it leans.

chucker wrote: Sun Feb 22, 2026 7:07 am Eisen didn't sound at all like he thought the Raiders shouldn't draft Mendoza. He was asking Kiper for his take on what a lot of draft mediots are talking about. He's an interviewer, conducting an interview. Personally I think Eisen loves the Raiders and likely wants them to draft Mendoza and turn the franchise around.

I like hearing counterpoints, why wouldn't you ask that question? The answer won't kill you, whichever way it leans.

I like Rich and always have. He’s great and always seems in the raiders corner.

chucker wrote: Sun Feb 22, 2026 7:07 am Eisen didn't sound at all like he thought the Raiders shouldn't draft Mendoza. He was asking Kiper for his take on what a lot of draft mediots are talking about. He's an interviewer, conducting an interview. Personally I think Eisen loves the Raiders and likely wants them to draft Mendoza and turn the franchise around.

I like hearing counterpoints, why wouldn't you ask that question? The answer won't kill you, whichever way it leans.

Because bad teams with no QB that has an opportunity to draft a franchise QB should always draft the QB. Stating the team has other holes to fill before you go after the QB, who you might never have the opportunity to get is just stupid. He asked a question he knew the answer, just for content. He would want his Jets to draft Mendoza and they have more holes than the Raiders.

PS: I'm a big Eisen fan, but that question is ridiculous. Think of all the teams over the years who drafted a QB #1 overall, and guess what, the whole team sucked ever time, why bring it up when the Raiders pick #1? Did it come up when Burrows, Manning, and other #1 Qbs?

Hey Rich, the Raiders passed on Mendoza, should the Jets draft him or fill all the other holes on the team....lol Stupid f[raiders_icon]cking question.

The only idiot who thinks we should fills holes first is Carr....lol

Rabidraider wrote: Sun Feb 22, 2026 7:33 am Because bad teams with no QB that has an opportunity to draft a franchise QB should always draft the QB. Stating the team has other holes to fill before you go after the QB, who you might never have the opportunity to get is just stupid. He asked a question he knew the answer, just for content. He would want his Jets to draft Mendoza and they have more holes than the Raiders.

He had an "expert" on and asked him to weigh in on the question that others are talking about. Kiper had the correct answer. I want to see every draft guy weigh in on that topic, even though I 100% know that the Raiders need to draft Mendoza.

Attyla wrote: Sat Feb 21, 2026 12:17 pm I get the self serving notion that we are not ready. We are not currently. But free agency has yet to begin. If we hit a few out of the park for the line, we are absolutely ready. But we need to do that or Mendoza is going to struggle no fault of his. So the line needs to be a focus. We owe it to everyone to set the guy up for success.

Agreed. This isn’t superbowl or bust. We just can’t feed Mendoza to the wolves. I expect we’ll be fairly aggressive spending on the o-line. And relevant to this thread - that was the bears blue print last offseason and you see the results

raiders93 wrote: Sun Feb 22, 2026 7:50 am Agreed. This isn’t superbowl or bust. We just can’t feed Mendoza to the wolves. I expect we’ll be fairly aggressive spending on the o-line. And relevant to this thread - that was the bears blue print last offseason and you see the results

There is absolutely no reason to go into the season without a good situation on the oline, and an overall good situation for Mendoza. We have too much cap space and too many other draft picks to just hope for the best in that group.

Build the line for Mendoza and Jeanty this year and let them settle in. It's likely that the defense still lets them down, because we don't really have to resources for a one year overhaul of the D as well. Add some pieces and get ready to build more on D in 2027.

Toast wrote: Sat Feb 21, 2026 9:41 pm Eisen is a hack. His next intuitive thought will be his first.

What a zinger!! Did you come up with that one yourself?

There is absolutely no reason for Mendoza to throw at the combine. I wouldn't even care if he didn't throw at his pro day. He should show up, do some interviews, find out what the Raiders would like him to work on before the draft to get him as ready as possible for OTAs.

chucker wrote: Sun Feb 22, 2026 3:05 pm There is absolutely no reason for Mendoza to throw at the combine. I wouldn't even care if he didn't throw at his pro day. He should show up, do some interviews, find out what the Raiders would like him to work on before the draft to get him as ready as possible for OTAs.

I’ve stated in the past it wouldn’t surprised if he threw or didn’t. As a standard 1st overall no need to throw. His character may have made him do it. He’s gonna work with his receivers to try and help them and I can appreciate that

Mendo-adjacent. Indiana wasn’t/isn’t stacked with a bunch of 4-Star, 5-Star players. Which leads me to wonder how many of the guys coming out might end up going undrafted. Those fellas would follow Mendo into battle no questions asked, and THAT means we’ve got the advantage post-draft.

I’m not a deep-in-the-weeds college guy. Anyone that is, who might we sign off the Hoosiers’ squad? I see Black on mock draft simulators around 5th-7th. His Center, Pat Coogan, I see in the 7th, if not undrafted. That’s the names I know off the dome.

Starting to try to answer this on my own. Some names I’ve found slotted for later to undrafted.

Day 3-ish:
Aiden Fisher (LB) Production is strong but physical traits place him in later rounds.

Amare Ferrell (S) Versatile safety with day-three draft grade in some boards.

Roman Hemby (RB) Sometimes pegged as a seventh-round or late pick.

Undrafted-ish:
Riley Nowakowski (TE) Ranked outside top 250 prospects on some draft boards.

Pat Coogan (OL) Solid interior lineman but could be late Day 3 or UDFA depending on combine/pro day.

Louis Moore (S) Ranked outside top day-two prospects, likely Day 3 or UDFA.

GoodTimeCharlie wrote: Sun Feb 22, 2026 3:37 pm Mendo-adjacent. Indiana wasn’t/isn’t stacked with a bunch of 4-Star, 5-Star players. Which leads me to wonder how many of the guys coming out might end up going undrafted. Those fellas would follow Mendo into battle no questions asked, and THAT means we’ve got the advantage post-draft.

I’m not a deep-in-the-weeds college guy. Anyone that is, who might we sign off the Hoosiers’ squad? I see Black on mock draft simulators around 5th-7th. His Center, Pat Coogan, I see in the 7th, if not undrafted. That’s the names I know off the dome.

Omar Cooper is a Day 2 pick

BoKnows81 wrote: Sun Feb 22, 2026 3:55 pm Omar Cooper is a Day 2 pick

I’m aware. I’m trying to unearth the guys who may not cost us a single draft pick, but are worthy of a look.

GoodTimeCharlie wrote: Sun Feb 22, 2026 3:57 pm I’m aware. I’m trying to unearth the guys who may not cost us a single draft pick, but are worthy of a look.

Oops. Completely missed the undrafted part.