Raiders GM John Spytek admits to getting 'a few calls' about the No 1 pick ahead of next week's NFL Draft

The Las Vegas Raiders are expected to marque Fernando Mendoza, the nationalist championship-winning backmost from Indiana, the archetypal wide prime successful the NFL Draft adjacent Thursday.

But that hasn’t stopped teams beneath the Raiders astatine No. 1 wide from calling their telephone astir a imaginable commercialized up scenario.

Raiders GM John Spytek spoke during a pre-NFL Draft quality conference, during which helium admitted to getting a "few calls" astir the archetypal wide enactment his squad owns.

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General manager John Spytek of the Las Vegas Raiders looks connected earlier a crippled against the Cleveland Browns astatine Allegiant Stadium successful Las Vegas connected Nov. 23, 2025. (Chris Unger/Getty Images)

"Those teams cognize wherever they stand," Spytek said, via ESPN.

Spytek said during the quality league that bully trades tin ever materialize connected draught night, sometimes adjacent close earlier the pick. However, if a subordinate stands retired to the team, arsenic Mendoza is believed to person done, the Raiders volition crook down an offer.

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"If there’s a subordinate that stands retired that we consciousness it’s not worthy losing, it’s not worthy adjacent picking up the phone, past we’ll conscionable marque the pick," Spytek added. "But if it’s a subordinate that we’re not arsenic excited about, oregon there’s a radical of players that we would emotion to prime from, and we tin get worth for that, we’re surely unfastened to listening to that."

All signs constituent to Mendoza, who has cemented himself arsenic the champion backmost successful this draught aft an undefeated play astatine Indiana. It besides became much evident that a backmost was needed for Las Vegas aft reaching a woody with the New York Jets to reunite them with Geno Smith, who was their starter successful 2025 pursuing a anterior woody with the Seattle Seahawks.

The Raiders, however, did bring successful Kirk Cousins aft his merchandise from the Atlanta Falcons, though his $20 cardinal successful guaranteed wealth connected a whopping $172 cardinal woody indicates helium volition service arsenic a mentor for whoever the Raiders bring successful the gathering done the draught . Aidan O’Connell is besides connected the Raiders’ roster nether caller caput manager Klint Kubiak.

Indiana backmost Fernando Mendoza looks to propulsion a walk during the school's NFL pro time successful Bloomington, Indiana, connected April 1, 2026. (AJ Mast/AP Photo)

Kubiak is caller disconnected a Super Bowl triumph with the Seahawks, serving arsenic their violative coordinator earlier taking this promotion pursuing a one-year stint by Pete Carroll successful Sin City. It didn’t spell according to program for Las Vegas, resulting successful the archetypal wide selection.

But things are looking up for the metallic and black, arsenic Spytek utilized the team’s immense escaped cause headdress country to motion the likes of halfway Tyler Linderbaum, linebackers Nakobe Dean and Quay Walker, and wide receiver Jalen Nailor, among others.

Now, Spytek and the franchise person their eyes acceptable connected improving the roster adjacent much with imaginable cornerstone pieces done the NFL Draft. The Raiders person 10 full picks, including the archetypal wide selection, which is the archetypal clip they’ve had that slot since 2007.

And those picks, if it's Mendoza oregon anyone other successful the draft, volition person to gain their roster spot and playing clip similar everyone other crossed the league.

John Spytek of the Las Vegas Raiders speaks during a property league astatine the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine successful Indianapolis, Ind., connected Feb. 24, 2026. (Cooper Neill/Getty Images)

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"Ultimately, this is simply a meritocracy, and the champion feline volition play," Spytek explained. "It’s conscionable truly hard to play truly good astatine a young age. But we’ve seen plentifulness of quarterbacks bash it recently. We added Kirk, we person Aidan, and we’ll spot however it goes."

The NFL Draft begins with the Raiders connected the timepiece adjacent Thursday successful Pittsburgh.