A-
Las Vegas Raiders
McCarthy is the plan now, and the Raiders grade out a A-.
by Superomnicron ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 14 picks
· 5 steals
· 8 reaches
The one hole that towered over the rest is filled. The Raiders spent their marquee pick on J.J. McCarthy, and for the first time in a while there is a real answer at quarterback.
That is a wide receiver worth more than the slot they spent on him, plainly. The cost of the Hopper reach is exactly the players who went right after him. They won the margins on every swap, and it adds up fast.
For all the activity, edge rusher went untouched, which is hard to explain.
A strong weekend's work, and a rare one to find this little fault with.
Pick-by-Pick
In Round 1, Pick 19 they get their quarterback of the future, even if it was a touch early.
You do not let an offensive lineman like Troy Fautanu reach pick No. 44 and blink. They did not. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
Max Melton at slot 77 is right where the board had him, plain and simple. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
Dominick Puni in No. 81 is early enough to raise a brow, if not a full objection. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
They stopped a slide they were happy to see, landing Devontez Walker in the 83rd overall pick. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
They paid up for Isaac Guerendo at pick 112 when waiting would have done the job. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
A swing that ignored the value entirely, Tyrone Tracy Jr. well ahead of where he belonged. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
They liked Ben Sinnott enough to skip the value, taking him in the Round 4 slot. It fills a real need, too.
A wild overpay on Ty'Ron Hopper in Round 4, Pick 28, the sort that defines a class for the wrong reasons. Useful depth more than a marquee fix.
Beau Brade is a better player than slot 148 suggests; smart patience, rewarded. It adds depth where they could use a little.
The board had Ro Torrence higher than the 191st pick, and the cornerback fell to them anyway. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
Anthony Gould at pick 192 is a first-round grade at a bargain-bin price, no notes. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
They left a pile of value on the table to take LaDarius Henderson this early at the Round 6 slot. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
A big swing on Tyler Owens at pick No. 223, well ahead of any board in the building. It is more luxury than necessity; they were already set here.