The Las Vegas Raiders will have no shortage of needs heading into the 2026 NFL Draft. Many will focus on the needs at quarterback, offensive line and every level of the defense, but it could be argued that the team’s biggest need is at wide receiver.
Tre Tucker is the only wide receiver still on the roster who has over 150 receiving yards on the season. Jakobi Meyers was a solid player, but he got traded to the Jacksonville Jaguars. Jack Bech and Dont’e Thornton haven’t shown nearly enough this season for the Raiders to be confident that they’ll be impact players.
If the Raiders don’t want any more games this season, they’re going to have a top-three draft pick. That should give them the chance to land the first wide receiver off the board. Josh Liskiewitz of Pro Football Focus put together a mock draft for the Raiders, and he projects the team to select Ohio State wide receiver Carnell Tate in the first round.
“Tate will need to prove he has the speed typically expected of a top-10 selection if he is to go this high, but his stellar 2025 campaign and Ohio State pedigree are sure to be enticing to the Raiders,” Liskiewitz wrote.
“Twenty-nine of his 44 receptions this season have gone for first downs, and another eight have resulted in touchdowns for the Buckeyes. He uses his 6-foot-3, 195-pound frame exceptionally well, having secured 12 of 14 contested targets thrown his way this year.”
Is Tate Right Fit for Raiders?
If the Raiders didn’t fire offensive coordinator Chip Kelly, Tate would make even more sense for the team. Kelly coached the wide receiver at Ohio State last year, so he should know him well.
Regardless, the Raiders should keep a close eye on him. In nine games this season, Tate has 44 catches for 793 yards and eight touchdowns. He’s the kind of playmaker the Raiders need and would form a great duo with tight end Brock Bowers.
The team would have a trio of exciting, young offensive weapons who were all top-15 draft picks in Tate, Bowers and running back Ashton Jeanty. That said, it doesn’t matter how many playmakers the team has if the offensive line can’t block.
DL in the Second Round?
The biggest need on the defense is arguably at defensive tackle. The Raiders cut Christian Wilkins in the offseason, and nobody has stepped up to replace him.
Adam Butler is a solid player, but he’s not getting much help. The Raiders could use a difference maker on the interior. Liskiewitz believes Georgia’s Christen Miller could be that player for Las Vegas, as he projected them to select the Bulldog in the second round.
“The Raiders should be looking to address the defensive interior in both free agency and the draft this offseason, and Miller has produced the kind of all-around performance currently missing from the roster,” Liskiewitz wrote.
“In both 2024 and 2025 with the Bulldogs, he has posted a pass-rush win rate above 10.0% and earned positive grades on more than 20.0% of run plays.”
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