Even in the midst of their shocking 2-0 start to the season, the Las Vegas Raiders definitely need some help at wide receiver, and a recent NFL mock draft seems to have identified an ideal solution for them.
Tankathon’s latest 2027 mock draft has the Raiders selecting Alabama wide receiver Ryan Coleman-Williams with the 27th overall pick — a projection that lines up with both need and talent.
The Raiders’ receiver room still lacks a true alpha after last year’s overhaul. Brock Bowers gives them an elite tight end, and complementary pieces such as Tre Tucker and Jack Bech have shown flashes.
What they do not have is a consistent vertical threat who can stretch the field and win one-on-one on the outside.
Adding another wide receiver is not a luxury; it is the next logical step for a young quarterback who needs a playmaker who can create after the catch and finish downfield.
Wide receiver remains one of the team’s most-mocked first-round positions this cycle.
Coleman-Williams fits that profile. The six-foot, 182-pound junior from Mobile, Alabama, burst onto the scene as a true freshman in 2024 with 48 catches for 865 yards and eight receiving touchdowns, plus two rushing scores.
He averaged 18 yards per catch and immediately looked like a home-run hitter.
After a sophomore dip that included too many drops, he has shown the explosiveness again in 2026: 12 receptions for 235 yards (19.6 yards per catch) through three games, including a 130-yard outing and a 46-yard touchdown.
His combination of speed, suddenness, and ability to take the top off a defense is what made him a five-star recruit and a freshman All-American.
At pick 27, Las Vegas would be pairing a proven big-play threat with a quarterback who needs exactly that.
Coleman-Williams is not the biggest receiver in the class, but he is one of the most explosive. He can align outside or in the slot, win with acceleration, and turn routine catches into chunk plays.
For a franchise trying to build a modern offense around a new passer, that kind of dynamic skill set is hard to pass up. Mock drafts change weekly, and Coleman-Williams still has a full season left to play.
If he continues to produce at a high level and cleans up the drops that plagued him last year, the Raiders would be getting a homegrown Alabama product who already knows how to take over games.
In a draft that will be loaded at the position, Tankathon’s latest board says Las Vegas should not wait. They should take the explosive one.
