It came as no surprise, but the Las Vegas Raiders made it official by selecting former Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza with the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. So much of the offseason has been about setting Mendoza up for success, like giving a huge contract to center Tyler Linderbaum and hiring head coach Klint Kubiak.
However, the only notable wide receiver addition has been Jalen Nailor. He has potential, but he’s been a No. 3 wide receiver for much of his career. The Raiders may be keen on adding a bit more wide receiver talent.
They could rely on a rookie, but it could make sense to bring in a proven veteran. Former Miami Dolphins wide receiver and six-time All-Pro Tyreek Hill remains a free agent. He’s coming off an injury-riddled year and is 32, but should still be able to make an impact in the right situation.
Timothy Rapp of Bleacher Report believes the Raiders signing Hill could make some sense.
“Everybody assumes the New England Patriots will trade for A.J. Brown, but if they don’t, why not Hill? The Pats need more playmakers for Drake Maye,” Rapp wrote.
“Ditto for the Raiders and Mendoza. Hill would give them another dimension.”
Hill Signing Seems Unlikely
As a player, Hill would make sense for the Raiders. He’s one of the greatest wide receivers to ever play and has a lot of experience. That said, he has been known to cause distractions in the locker room in the past. That’s a recipe for disaster with a rookie quarterback.
Also, would he even want to play for the Raiders? He only has so many years left and likely wants to compete in the playoffs. While Las Vegas is heading in the right direction, they’re likely a year or two away from being real playoff threats.
The Raiders are going to need to add more wide receiver talent, but it’s hard to see Hill being the player that they sign.
Raiders Earn High Marks for Mendoza Pick
The Raiders didn’t have a hard time in the first round of the draft. Once they earned the No. 1 pick, everybody expected them to select Mendoza.
They did go through a thorough pre-draft process and concluded that Mendoza was the right guy for them. He’s not the most exciting quarterback prospect of all time, but he does everything at a high level.
The Raiders have had major quarterback issues for years now, so he should be an immediate upgrade. ESPN’s Ryan McFadden thought taking Mendoza was the correct choice for the team to make.
“Mendoza joining the Raiders felt like a foregone conclusion after he led Indiana to a national championship victory over Miami,” McFadden wrote. “He has the size and frame at 6-foot-5, 225 pounds to be an NFL quarterback. He is accurate and is a good decision-maker, which are two traits that Raiders coach Klint Kubiak wants from a quarterback. For years, the Raiders have struggled to find a long-term answer at quarterback. Mendoza has the potential to solve this issue.”
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