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The Las Vegas Raiders have limited weapons for former Indiana Hoosiers QB Fernando Mendoza, who they are projected to take with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. As a result, could the Silver and Black decide to reunite Mendoza with one of his targets from college?
Outside of Ashton Jeanty and Brock Bowers, the Raiders don’t have offensive weapons that are building blocks for this rebuild. With free agency and the draft approaching, Las Vegas has an opportunity to bolster its pass-catching options.
One potential scenario for the Raiders is selecting Mendoza with the top pick and using their second-round pick on former Indiana wide receiver Elijah Sarratt. On the Feb. 23 edition of the “Raiders Squad Show,” former offensive lineman Lincoln Kennedy shared his thoughts on whether the front office should consider drafting Sarratt.
“Depending on the price, because if you could recreate that chemistry that they had in, say, last year in Indiana that would be notable,” Kennedy said. “You have a quarterback who’s familiar with the receiver… If you have that familiarity with the said receiver that Mendoza and Sarratt would have, especially coming back from Indiana, had an international championship run, that would be good.”
Will Elijah Sarratt Be Avaliable in Round 2 for Las Vegas?
Nonetheless, Kennedy also asked whether it’s realistic to draft him given where the Raiders will be picking in the second round, or whether they would need to trade up to edge out another team that might have an interest in him?
“Now it’s a business,” Kennedy added. “Does it make sense? Can we get him? What’s the price that we would have to pay to get him? Do we have to take him with that 36th pick? Will he be there? You see what I’m saying? It should be trade up to get him. You see a lot of things that jump at that fact. When you come to the evaluation, you look at it, you address needs, you address the possibilities.
“But yes, chemistry is something that you really cannot duplicate until it happens. Every position, every player working with a new team has got to develop that chemistry, and it takes time to do that. So, because the Raiders do need a primary receiver, an extra receiver, in my opinion yes, it would make sense for him to go after somebody that Fernando Mendoza is used to.”
Raiders Projected to Pass on Elijah Sarratt in Round 2
Nonetheless, there’s also the possibility of better draft prospects being available to the Raiders with the 36th pick. In his two-round mock draft, ESPN’s Matt Miller has the Silver and Black selecting another player who isn’t Sarratt, as Las Vegas goes after Miami Hurricanes‘ Akheem Mesidor, whom they also saw in the national title game.
“Mesidor’s age (he turns 25 in April) might limit how high he can rise, but this value at the top of Round 2 would be too sweet to pass up,” Miller wrote in his article published on Feb. 2. “Mesidor projects as a true 4-3 defensive end who could disrupt offenses opposite Maxx Crosby.”
Miler also has Sarratt falling to the 63rd pick to the New England Patriots. As a result, it appears the Indiana receiver could be available for the Raiders to pick. Still, it will be interesting to see whether they take Sarratt or use another approach with their second-round pick.
Eduardo Razo Eduardo Razo is a sports writer for Heavy.com, covering the NFL, MLB, and college football. He has previously covered the NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB for NBC Sports Washington and NBC Sports Bay Area & California, and has freelanced for PSG Talk, covering Paris Saint-Germain. He also worked as an editor at Athlon Sports, focusing on MLB and the NFL. More about Eduardo Razo
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