The Raiders seemingly only have one move to make tonight. You never want a draft first overall again. That’s why drafting QB Fernando Mendoza from Indiana makes too much sense.

Still, Vegas could shake things up with a trade. Both the New York Jets and Arizona Cardinals desperately need a quarterback. The Raiders have a ton of voids in their roster, so they might not be able to turn down the temptation of multiple draft picks. There’s a lot of talk about next year’s draft class which also makes a trade back intriguing.

Let’s also not forget the Dexter Lawrence trade. Cinci gave up a No. 1 for a defensive tackle. The Raiders are saying all the right things with Maxx Crosby but they may trade him if the right deal comes around. Crosby dealt with injuries over the past few years. He’s approaching 30 and a new contract. His value may never be higher.

Even if the Raiders don’t make a trade tonight, they also have several additional picks in the middle rounds. They could find a development quarterback there, if needed. 

Regardless, the Raiders need a stag talent throughout their draft. Their biggest needs are offensive tackle edge, rusher, interior, defensive, lineman, receiver and linebacker. So yes, they could use a player at almost every position.

At the very least, they need players who are ready to compete at the receiver and cornerback position, as well as some developmental players at tackle and edge. If they can land that on top of the starting quarterback, Vegas will have earned a successful draft grade.

In the past, we’ve seen coaches select players that reflect their philosophies. We seen them pick players that fit certain positions in different ways. Some have even tried to collect winners, as if it is that easy to translate a winning culture. We will see a lot of that through this draft. The Raiders going to target players with winning college pedigrees. There is gonna be some high-end players that fall and you may see the Raiders take someone with high upside and godly measurables. You are also going to see them select some different seven people in seasons past since they are trying to focus on more of a 34 defense this year versus years past.

For Raiders fans, at the very least we should be able to sign relief. We got our future quarterback. I said it before, and I may regret seeing it again, but it feels like the Raiders finally have direction. Talking to the most writer fans around feels like things can’t get much worse and it’s only up from here. Let’s hope that’s the case starting today with the number one pick.