B+
Las Vegas Raiders
Nobody dealt better than the Raiders this weekend: B+.
by JF ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 14 picks
· 1 steals
· 6 reaches
The real work happened on the phones. The Raiders fleeced their trade partners, turning their picks into a noticeably bigger pile than they started with. Good, not great, and the B+ says as much.
For all the activity, wide receiver went untouched, which is hard to explain. The McGlothern value carries more weight than any single miss elsewhere.
If Jennings pans out, nobody remembers the price. If not, this is the pick they hear about. The Raiders clearly valued win-now help, adding bodies who have done it before.
All told, a draft that does its job without fuss, and there is real value in that.
Pick-by-Pick
Quinyon Mitchell at pick 44 is a sound buy, the sort that quietly helps a class. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
Jonah Elliss in the Round 2 slot is the kind of reach that only looks good if he outplays it. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
By-the-book stuff, T'Vondre Sweat at the 52nd pick squarely in line with his ranking. A need, and now a little less of one.
A premium they did not need to pay, Zak Zinter a notch or two before his time. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
Cooper Beebe in slot 112 is exactly on the number, no argument either way. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
They took Cedric Gray at par in Round 4, Pick 17, which is nothing to complain about. A minor itch, scratched.
No edge and no loss on Joe Milton III in pick No. 150; it is a wash and a sensible one. The roster fit checks out.
Malik Mustapha at the 152nd overall pick is neither steal nor reach, just the going rate. A minor need, but a need all the same.
Bryson Nesbit in the Round 6 slot is early enough to raise a brow, if not a full objection. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
Curtis Jacobs at Round 6, Pick 15 is a clear overpay, with better names still on the board. Nice player, but the depth chart did not need him here.
They paid up for Roger Rosengarten at pick 191 when waiting would have done the job. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
A real head-scratcher, Donovan Jennings in the 224th pick is miles ahead of his ranking. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
Cody Schrader at slot 234 is right where the board had him, plain and simple. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
Dwight McGlothern slid further than he should have, and No. 235 is lovely value for the cornerback. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.