Silver And Black Pride
OTAs are underway for the Las Vegas Raiders, which means Fernando Mendoza and the entire 2026 NFL draft class have their silver and black jerseys on with their rookie numbers. Since the Raiders don’t retire numbers, that means a little more than it does for other organizations, because some players will be wearing the digits of a franchise legend and have big shoes to fill.
This is one of my favorite columns to write this time of year because it blends the franchise history with the next generation of Raiders. So, let’s see what legacies this year’s crop of rookies will be looking to live up to. Of course, players can change their numbers between now and the start of the season, but this at least gives us an initial look.
I think this one is pretty cool because Flores is the first Hispanic head coach to win a Super Bowl, and Mendoza is very proud of his Cuban/Hispanic heritage. Flores, who is Mexican, is also the first Hispanic starting quarterback in professional football history and was inducted into the Hall of Fame five years ago, giving the No. 1 pick an even bigger legacy to live up to.
This is another good one because Tatum was one of the most feared defenders and hardest-hitting safeties in the league during his tenure. Stukes doesn’t lay the wood like Tatum did—today’s NFL rules wouldn’t even allow it—but the rookie does project to be an impactful defensive back. Ball skills are the root of the second-round pick’s game, and he’ll be looking to surpass the three-time Pro Bowler’s 30 interceptions in nine seasons with the Raiders, which is tied for the fifth-most in franchise history.
To clarify, while Tatum is known more for wearing No. 32, he sported 31 for the first three years of his career.
Lott only played two seasons for the Raiders and is known more for his time with the San Francisco 49ers. But there aren’t many other options for No. 42, as linebacker Bill Laskey was the only other player considered. Lott’s best year with the Raiders came in 1991, when he led the league with eight interceptions and earned a first-team All-Pro bid. Obviously, Crawford will have to make a name for himself in a different way since he’ll be playing in the trenches, but that gives the Auburn product a lofty goal to strive for in Las Vegas.
Cooper Carlisle was also considered here, but there are more parallels to the beginning of Zuhn and Jackson’s career. Zuhn and Jackson were both third-round picks and drafted in the same class as a franchise quarterback, Mendoza and Derek Carr.
While the 2014 third-rounder never received any postseason recognition, he was a key piece of the Raiders’ 2016 offensive line, which was known as...
