The Raiders believe they changed the course of the franchise by taking Fernando Mendoza with the first pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, but many believe they hit a home run with their day 2 and 3 picks, as well.
ESPN’s Field Yates said the Raiders were the only team to draft five of his top 100 players in this year’s draft, and if Jermod McCoy’s knee can hold up, they added arguably the most talented cornerback in the draft in the fourth round.
But according to CBS Sports Mike Renner, one of the Raiders’ best value picks was Texas A&M offensive lineman Trey Zuhn in the third round. Zuhn struggled at times in college as a run blocker, but he received the highest grade in college football from Pro Football Focus in pass protection.
The Raiders are expected to deploy Zuhn as a guard, but Renner said 23-year-old can play anywhere along the offensive line and will be a good fit in Klint Kubiak’s scheme.
“With the 91st pick, the Las Vegas Raiders select Texas A&M offensive lineman Trey Zuhn. This is an A plus pick. When you get a guy who’s in my top 50 at 91 overall, I’m obviously going to love it,” Renner said this week on Pushing the Pile.
“I love it for a number of reasons. One is that Zuhn is super versatile. He’s played left tackle for the majority of his career, but he’s also played center this past year at Texas A&M. I think he could play guard as well. The second reason, he’s super athletic. I mean, the guy on the move is great. He uses his hands really well. His lateral agility is exactly what he’ll need in Klint Kubiak’s offense. In that running scheme, I think he’s a plug and play starter with how much football he’s played. And if you’re getting a plug and play starter on the offensive line at pick 91, you’re hitting a home run.”
Renner thinks Zuhn will end up starting in his first NFL season, and Raider Nation Radio host Q Myers shared that sentiment this week on his podcast.
“[His versatility] will be perfect for that Klint Kubiak offensive line scheme that they like to run, that outside blocking scheme. That’s what I believe and that’s why I believe he’s going to be a day one starter [and] he’s going to have the ability to step right in,” Myers said on the Locked on Raiders podcast this week.
“He’s got plenty of games played in college.
I just really like what he’s going to bring to the table. I think he’s going to help solidify that offensive line. That was a big time weakness.
Achilles heel for the Raiders in 2025. I think it’s going to be a strength in 2026.”
From his draft guide at The Athletic, Dane Brugler said the Texas A&M staff thinks Zuhn is the most NFL ready lineman they have ever coached.
“A four-year starter at Texas A&M, Zuhn worked primarily at left tackle in former offensive coordinator Collin Klein’s balanced scheme. The Aggies started to mix up their line rotations in 2025, including playing Zuhn inside at center (right-handed snapper) for 126 snaps. Zuhn earned All-SEC honors each of the past two seasons and shared the 2025 SEC Jacobs Blocking Trophy (top blocker in the SEC) with Alabama’s Kadyn Proctor,” Brugler wrote in his ‘The Beast’ draft guide.
“Zuhn is a college tackle who has the body and skill set that necessitate a move to the interior at the next level. (NFL scout: ‘Staff claims he’s the most pro-ready lineman they’ve ever had.’) He is urgent in his setup, quickly finds his landmark and flashes savvy hands,” Brugler continued.
“However, his average play strength and lack of length don’t go unnoticed versus power rushers or in the run game. Coachable and razor sharp, he should have little trouble handling the complexities of center in the NFL. Zuhn is an alert, athletic blocker who understands his strengths and reverts to what he does best to win reps. He offers interior flex and will have starter-caliber upside in the right situation.”
x: @raidersbeat
It gets tiresome seeing articles that are born of bias. Watched enough film of this guy to know that he’s not NFL material. He can’t run block. And at the level he played at what does that say at the NFL level? The competition he played against, saying his past blocking skills are superb means little to nothing. You’re not sending an offensive lineman in exclusively on passing downs. And if you are, you’re just giving up a big tell to defensive coordinators and middle linebackers.