Raiders Mock Draft 13: Spytek's Bold Picks Revealed

HENDERSON, Nev.-It is finally here, the National Football League (NFL) annual selection process begins this Thursday, April 23, at 8 PM ET.

It seems like the season ended just last week, when in reality this is our 13th NFL Mock Draft, and we skipped a week for the NFL Owners' meetings.

Heartfelt Appreciation

I want to personally take a moment to thank all the scouts, executives, agents, players, coaches, athletic directors, and even an owner or two who pitched in to our weekly mocks this year.

You have provided our readers with tremendous information and resources for many years.

Thank you.

If the Silver and Black do their job right, years from now we will celebrate, but your contributions today mean so much.

Long before our very first article, before the season even started, we told you that the Raiders were showing keen interest in Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza, and, to the credit of the Silver and Black and the young man, the interest never waned.

Ouch

In fact, when I first mentioned him, I got a fascinating email about him that, in part, said from a fan, "I am a Cal Bear grad, and he is trash. We were glad he left. If the Raiders pick him, that means we had a great year, and he is a backup. Nice kid, not real good."

I offer no name to humiliate anyone, but it shows the intricacies of the NFL Draft and the scouting process.

This is not the Raiders of old. They had a front-row seat, before anyone else, to the development and maturation of Fernando Mendoza, and in the desperation of the 2025 dysfunctional season, the seeds of a franchise resurgence took root.

Latest Rumors

The Raiders are very active right now, with ten picks, but before you simply take that statement and run with it, it is imperative to understand the context of "very active."

I maintain that I will be shocked if the Raiders end the draft on Saturday night with only their ten picks. Shocked.

While I certainly see scenarios in which they trade up (they have made those calls gauging cost), I also know they have fielded a significant number of calls (specifically at No. 36).

Draft Analysis

There are several pundits, some of whom I respect, who are adamant that this is not a deep draft. While I respect those men, I can tell you that is not what I am hearing whatsoever from the trusted NFL voices I have come to listen to over many decades in this business.

I can see legitimate scenarios in which the Raiders select two WRs, or even two safeties. I can see plausible scenarios in which they take one of each.

Because of the depth available and the terrific job in free agency, the Raiders are truly back to being a wildcard for all the right reasons.

It used to be people tuned in to the NFL Draft to see what the Raiders would do in an entertaining, head-scratching way, and now they tune in because their discipline often stands as a road sign in defining the draft.

With that in mind, for this draft, because there are numerous scenarios that could move them up or down in multiple ways, I kept this final mock with the original ten picks and added only one.

Method to my Madness

If I am so convinced that they won't execute all, and only those picks, why did I do the mock this way?

There are a few players that Spytek, I believe, would be more than willing to trade back up into the first round to acquire. Without question, I have heard two scenarios from multiple people.

There are several players, I believe, that they would be willing to trade back for if the board were shaping out in a way that saw pods of players fall, affording them that opportunity.

Because of the volatility of this draft, I kept my final mock simple.

Word of Advice

Early this morning, an NFL figure gave me some great advice.

"Spy [John Spytek] is young, but very talented. This is a deep draft. I had to learn early a hard lesson: you can keep trading back all you want in a deep draft, but eventually you need players and have to make picks. I think he is bright and talented, and I am excited to see who he picks."

I will discuss that and much more in my podcast as well.

Las Vegas Raiders 2026 NFL Mock Draft 13.0:

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This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/raiders/onsi as Raiders Mock Draft 13: Spytek's Bold Picks Revealed.

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This story was originally published April 20, 2026 at 9:30 AM.