As expected, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft has landed at No. 2 on the first 2026 Raiders depth chart.
The preliminary configuration of players has been released. Fernando Mendoza is listed as the backup to Kirk Cousins at the quarterback position.
The third quarterback is Aidan O’Connell, who has 17 starts in three seasons with the team. Jacob Clark, an undrafted rookie from Missouri State, is listed as the fourth-string quarterback.
The Raiders seem to be intent on starting the season with Cousins under center, and to not having a true competition between Cousins and Mendoza. It’s an approach that cuts against the modern approach of getting highly-drafted quarterbacks ready and putting them on the field, if only to give them the reps that will help the game slow down for them sooner rather than later.
The initial Las Vegas depth chart contains no real surprises. If Mendoza isn’t playing by the end of the 2026 season, that will be a major surprise.
The overriding question is whether the Raiders have enough talent to compete in a top-heavy AFC West. On paper, they don’t. It will be up to them to defy that once the real games begin.
