Chicago Bears could have received: 2026 second-round pick (No. 36 overall) and 2026 third-round pick (No. 67 overall)

Las Vegas Raiders could have received: 2026 first-round pick (No. 25 overall)  

The Las Vegas Raiders made the easiest pick of the night when they landed Fernando Mendoza at No. 1 overall. The Heisman-winning quarterback offered a great blend of positional need, talent, upside and value with a chance to be a savior for the downtrodden organization.

While the Mendoza pick made perfect sense for Vegas, the club could have helped expedite his development by swinging a deal for his favorite receiver—Omar Cooper Jr.

The chemistry that Cooper and Mendoza displayed at Indiana was a large reason why the program was able to march to a national championship this past season. The standout wideout led the Hoosiers in receptions (69) and receiving yardage (937) while tallying a stellar 13 touchdown catches. He was excellent under the brightest lights as well, racking up eight catches for 88 yards and a touchdown during IU’s two College Football Playoff contests.

Cooper’s production, combined with his solid size (6’0″, 201 pounds), athleticism, toughness and versatility, resulted in him going into the 2026 draft as the No. 22 overall prospect and No. 5 WR on the Bleacher Report Scouting Department’s big board. Despite that grade, Cooper had to wait until the end of Round 1 before he heard his name called at No. 30.

While Cooper will be a major asset for the New York Jets, the Raiders missed an opportunity to package their upcoming Day 2 picks up and jump back into the first round to grab their new QB’s top target. Vegas instead utilized the No. 36 pick to trade back before securing Treydan Stukes at No. 38.

Stukes fills a major void for the Raiders and has a promising outlook, but it’s hard to picture the Arizona safety making the same level of impact the Mendoza-Cooper battery would have together in the NFL.