John Spytek's best plan to attack the draft for one of the Raiders' biggest needs just became so much clearer less than a week out

The Las Vegas Raiders need a wide receiver desperately, but they may have reservations about taking one in the second or third round because of last offseason.

When you look at the top-30 visits the Las Vegas Raiders have done, it's clear they are very interested in a few of the wide receivers in the 2026 NFL Draft. It's also clear that all of the WRs they are interested in seem to be somewhere in that second to fourth round range.

Pre-draft visits show team interest and can involve information gathering. The Raiders have met with Georgia State WR Ted Hurst, ECU WR Anthony Smith, Texas A&M WR KC Concepcion, Alabama WR Germie Bernard, Washington WR Denzel Boston, Louisville WR Chris Bell, Texas Tech WR Caleb Douglas, Georgia WR Zachariah Branch, and Indiana WR Omar Cooper Jr.-seven of whom are top-30 visits.

When you look at any fan-driven mock draft right now, most of them will have the Raiders taking a WR in Round 2 or 3. However, I'm just not sure that's what they will do. Is there a chance? Yes. But after creating a Horizontal Big Board, it feels to me like the Raiders may do it later on Day 2 or even Day 3 before RD 2.

Horizontal Big Board says the Raiders' best plan to get a WR is on Day 2

A Horizontal Big Board is vital for evaluating depth and alternatives at each position. For example, if a team passes on a cornerback in the second round, the board shows which options remain in later rounds. It also identifies which player types to target with each pick, enabling informed decisions at every stage for each position.