The Las Vegas Raiders are in desperate need of a wide receiver, but there may be hesitations about selecting one in the second or third round due to events from last offseason. A closer look at the top-30 visits conducted by the Raiders reveals their strong interest in several wide receivers from the 2026 NFL Draft. However, it’s also evident that most of these players fall within the second to fourth round range.
Pre-draft visits often serve as a way for teams to gather information and assess potential prospects. The Raiders have met with a number of wide receivers, including Georgia State’s Ted Hurst, ECU’s Anthony Smith, Texas A&M’s KC Concepcion, Alabama’s Germie Bernard, Washington’s Denzel Boston, Louisville’s Chris Bell, Texas Tech’s Caleb Douglas, Georgia’s Zachariah Branch, and Indiana’s Omar Cooper Jr. Seven of these meetings were among the top-30 visits, indicating significant interest.
While many fan-driven mock drafts suggest the Raiders will take a wide receiver in the second or third round, there is some uncertainty about whether this will actually happen. It’s possible, but based on the data from a Horizontal Big Board, it seems more likely that the Raiders might target a wide receiver later on Day 2 or even Day 3 before the second round.
Horizontal Big Board Analysis
A Horizontal Big Board is crucial for evaluating depth and alternatives at each position. It helps teams understand which players remain available in later rounds if they pass on certain positions in earlier rounds. This board also identifies which types of players to target with each pick, enabling informed decisions at every stage.
Tier Breakdown
QB
– Fernando Mendoza
– Trade back into the late first
RB
– Jordyn Tyson
– Chase Bisontis
– Monroe Freeling
– Kadyn Proctor
WR
– Omar Cooper Jr.
– Denzel Boston
– KC Concepcion
– Germie Bernard
– Chris Bell
– Emmanuel Pregnon
– Keylan Rutledge
– Caleb Tiernan
TE
– Christen Miller
– Lee Hunter
– Caleb Banks
– R Mason Thomas
– Cashius Howell
– Jacob Rodriguez
– Chris Johnson
– Aveion Terrell
– D’Angelo Ponds
– AJ Haulcy
– Keionte Scott
– Treydan Stukes
IOL
– Jadarian Price
– Mike Washington
– Emmett Johnson
– Malachi Fields
– De’Zhaun Stribling
– Elijah Sarratt
– Ted Hurst
– Zach Branch
– Bryce Lance
– Chris Brazzell
– Gennings Dunker
– Jalen Farmer
– Billy Schrauth
– Markel Bell
– Austin Barber
– Domonique Orange
– Chris McClellan
– Darrell Jackson Jr.
– Gracen Halton
– Dani Dennis-Sutton
– Derrick Moore
– Jake Golday
– Kyle Louis
– Josiah Trotter
– Brandon Cisse
– Keith Abney
– Malik Muhammad
– Davison Igbinosun
– Chandler Rivers
– Bud Clark
– Jalen Kilgore
OT
– Kaytron Allen
– Jonah Coleman
– Demond Claiborne
– Nick Singleton
– Malik Benson
– Jakobi Lane
– Reggie Virgil
– Skyler Bell
– Febechi Nwaiwu
– Logan Taylor
– Kage Casey
– Beau Stephens
– Diego Pounds
– Travis Burke
– Jude Bowry
– Tyler Onyedim
– Albert Regis
– Rayshaun Benny
– Jaishawn Barham
– LT Overton
– Keyshaun Elliot
– Bryce Boettcher
– Daylen Everette
– Tacario Davis
– Devin Moore
– Julian Neal
– Genesis Smith
– Kamari Ramsey
– Jakobe Thomas
– VJ Payne
DT
– Eli Heidenreich
– Kaelon Black
– Kevin Coleman
– Jack Endries
– Joe Royer
– Dallen Bentley
– Riley Nowakowski
– Josh Cuevas
– Michael Trigg
– Kaegen Trost
– Alex Harkey
– Anez Cooper
– Caden Barnett
– Demetrius Crownover
– Drew Shelton
– Isaiah World
– Kaleb Proctor
– Cam Ball
– Demonte Capehart
– Caden Curry
– Josh Josephs
– Logan Fano
– Anthony Lucas
– Trey Moore
– Aiden Fisher
– Jack Kelly
– Harold Perkins
– Jadon Canady
– Charles Demmings
– Will Lee
– Thaddeus Dixon
– Robert Spears-Jennings
EDGE
– J’Marri Taylor
– Jam Miller
– Josh Cameron
– J. Michael Sturdivant
– Carsen Ryan
– Tanner Koziol
– Fernando Carmona
– Jeremiah Wright
– JC Davis
– Enrique Cruz Jr.
– Zane Durant
– landon Robinson
– Nadame Tucker
– Kendal Daniels
– Taurean York
– Xavien Sorey
– Deonte Lawson
– Hezekiah Masses
– Collin Wright
– TJ Hall
– Bishop Fitzgerald
– Jalen Husky
– Louis Moore
LB
– Roman Hemby
– Chip Trayanum
– Adam Randall
– Rahsul Faison
– Caleb Douglas
– Jordan Hudson
– Zavion Thomas
– Barion Brown
– Jaren Kanak
– Lake McRee
– John Michael-Gyllenborg
– Armaj Reed-Adams
– DJ Campbell
– Jaeden Roberts
– Aamil Wagner
– Nolan Rucci
– Tim Keenan
– Damonic Williams
– Skyler Gill-Howard
– Dontay Corleone
– Mikhail Kamara
– Scooby Williams
– Lander Barton
– Eric Gentry
– Wessley Bissainthe
– Brent Austin
– Ahmari Harvey
– Marcus Allen
– Lorenzo Styles Jr.
– Skyler Thomas
– Cole Wisniewski
CB
– CJ Donaldson
– Robert Henry Jr.
– Jaydn Ott
– Tyren Montgomery
– Eric McCallister
– Aaron Anderson
– Romello Brinson
– Miles Kitselman
– Dan Villari
– Evan Svoboda
– Hayden Large
– Dillon Wade
– Micah Morris
– Josh Braun
– Sam Hagen
– Riley Mahlman
– Tristan Leigh
– Gavin Ortega
– James Neal
– Micah Pettus
– Zxavien Harris
– Aaron Hall
– Jalen Hunt
– Stephen Daly
– David Blay
– Marvin Jones Jr.
– Patrick Payton
– Dasan McCullough
– Bryan Thomas Jr.
– Ethan Burke
– West Weeks
– Jack Dingle
– Shad Banks
– Jaedyn Lukus
– Kolbey Taylor
– Ayden Garnes
– Ahmad Moses
– Miles Scott
– Jalen Stroman
– Larry Worth
S
– On my Horizontal Big Board, you can see that there are many more options available in the third and fourth rounds than in the second. The second and fourth actually have the same number of guys projected to be there, but the second pick doesn’t feel like it should be a wide receiver when there are other positions and needs at hand.
UDFA
– Jack Bech
– Dont’e Thornton
Spytek drafted Jack Bech and Dont’e Thornton in the second and fourth rounds, using significant draft capital. Returning to wide receiver early feels unlikely. We also lack clarity on Bech and Thornton’s long-term value. Their rookie seasons were disappointing, but their second seasons could clarify future needs. They believe in those guys, so why would they take a WR in Round 2 again?
Based on everything we know at hand, it feels like the Raiders will likely be drafting a WR in the third or fourth rounds. Sure, this board doesn’t mean anything, since guys can rise and fall, and teams have different evaluations and big boards than ours. However, it’s clear they do still need to take a WR. Now, it’s just about finding the right time.
