Ian RapoportFeb 17, 2026
Rapoport said they believe the Raiders will draft quarterback Fernando Mendoza with the No. 1 overall pick, expects Miami to part ways with Tua Tagovailoa, thinks Malik Willis will have a strong market, and would be surprised if Kenneth Walker or Breece Hall received the franchise tag. They also predicted the Raiders' offensive line will play better with better coaching, that Mendoza likely won't throw at the combine, and that free agency will be trade-heavy.
Said on air, transcribed by us · The Rich Eisen Show (podcast)Hear the original
What Ian Rapoport said
our reading, beside the words we read it fromIt's it's draft for Nelme Doza, which I I do believe will happen.
- Where it was said
- The Rich Eisen Show (podcast)
- The episode
- Hour 1: Top 5 NFL Offseason Storylines, NBA ASG/Dunk Contest Reactions, plus NFL Insider Ian Rapoport
- The original
- Hear the original
- Read it wrong?
- Tell us and we will look
- SaidFeb 17
- GradedAug 13
- 1Fernando Mendoza to be picked at number 1“the Raiders do it at one overall? Is it Fernando Mendoza coming in?... It's it's draft for Nelme Doza, which I I do believe will happen.”
- 2Tua Tagovailoa to move to Miami Dolphins“feels like Miami is probably parting ways with two of them”
Box score
HitCloseMissWaiting| Verdict | Call | Kind | What happened | Score | Naive | Skill |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fernando Mendoza to be picked at number 11 | Mock Draft Picks | Went 1 | 100 | 50 | — | |
| Tua Tagovailoa to move to Miami Dolphins2 | Trade and Signing Calls | — | — | — | — | |
| 2 calls · 1 hit · 1 waiting | 100 | 50 | ||||
How each call scored
a naive guessbetter than naive2 checkable claims — 1 mock draft pick and 1 trade and signing call — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing call.
It names 4 players and teams, each linked to their own record.
1 of 2 have settled so far, averaging 100 out of 100, against 50 for a naive guess at the same calls.
Each call is scored 0 to 100 against what happened, on its own, by the published methodology. The naive guess is what knowing nothing would have scored on the same calls; the gap, weighted by how hard the call was, is the skill.
Their call against what happened
overall pickTheir call against what actually happened.
1Mock Draft PicksFernando MendozaLas Vegas Raiders
Fernando Mendoza to be picked at number 1
What happenedWent 1mocked at 1100Hit · naive 50Think this is wrong?How this was scored
- draft:
- 2026
- naive:
- a shuffled mock scores 50
- player:
- Fernando Mendoza
- season:
- 2025
- zero credit this far off:
- 32
- accuracy:
- 100
- baseline:
- 50
- actual pick:
- 1
- difficulty:
- 1
- weeks in the season:
- 18
- pick accuracy:
- 100
- predicted pick:
- 1
- weeks left when called:
- 0
- mock ordering score:
- only one pick — no order to score
2Trade and Signing CallsTua TagovailoaMiami Dolphins
Tua Tagovailoa to move to Miami Dolphins
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Who this take is about
Others on the same people
Alain Poupart · Roster Spot Calls · Carlos Washington · Miss 0
Poupart expects rookie guard Kadyn Proctor to clear concussion protocol and play against Detroit, sees Ollie Gordon II continuing as the Dolphins' workhorse back, and thinks practice squad back Carlos Washington Jr. could be elevated for the Lions game.Chris Broussard · Game Outcome Picks · Las Vegas Raiders · Hit 100
Broussard picked the Ravens to beat the Bills in a shootout, 38-34, took the Raiders to upset the Jets, and said Detroit would beat the Vikings.John Breech · Score Predictions · Las Vegas Raiders · Hit 95
Breech's Week 8 score predictions include Bengals over Titans, Raiders over Jets, Rams over Chargers and Patriots over Dolphins.Tyler Sullivan · Game Outcome Picks · Las Vegas Raiders · Hit 100
Sullivan's Week 8 upset alert column flags five favorites they expect to lose: they pick the Falcons over the Buccaneers, the Raiders over the Jets, the undefeated Vikings over the Lions, the Ravens (with Lamar Jackson returning) over the Bills, and the Browns over the Steelers.Ezekiel Trezevant · Game Outcome Picks · Las Vegas Raiders · Hit 100
Trezevant argues that if the Raiders are as improved as they appeared at 3-0, they should beat the Jets in Week 8 on the road and end their four-game losing streak.
More mock draft picks
The same kind of call, about other players and teams.
Chris Simms · Mock Draft Picks · Malachi Corley · Miss 11
Simms named the Bears the NFL's best overall offense and best rushing offense, the Bengals the best passing offense, Seattle the best total defense, Minnesota the best pass defense and Tampa Bay the best run defense; they also called Tristan Wirfs the league's best offensive lineman, projected Miami's Malachi Toney as a top-15 pick, and predicted a 30-14 Jaguars win in Baltimore.Philip Hughes · Mock Draft Picks · Kyle Kennard · Miss 34
Evaluating edge rusher Kyle Kennard ahead of the draft, the account projected them as a Day 2 selection.Blaine Grisak · Mock Draft Picks · Brian Thomas Jr. · Hit 84
Grisak argues the Rams should not trade a second-round pick for Jaguars receiver Brian Thomas Jr., calling it too great a risk and too high a cost. In an embedded tweet of their own from the 2024 pre-draft period, they suggested the Rams could select Thomas at pick No. 19.Charlie Campbell · Mock Draft Picks · Xavier Williams · Miss 0
Campbell's draft stock report projects Indiana WR Charlie Becker as a top-10 pick in 2027, Mississippi State CB Kelley Jones as a first-rounder, Tennessee DT Xavier Gilliam as a top-15 pick, and Texas OT Trevor Goosby as a top-10 pick, while suggesting Arch Manning could still be a first-rounder if they declare.