The trade table was where it all came apart. The Raiders shipped out far more than they hauled back, and no amount of spin dresses up the bill. The board sounded every alarm, and the F is the fallout.
Everything downstream of Caleb Williams depends on Caleb Williams, and the building knows it. The cost of the Solomon reach is exactly the players who went right after him.
They will regret leaving tight end for another day if the season turns on it. The Raiders indulged a want in Solomon while a need in tight end and interior defensive lineman stayed open.
The Cowing value carries more weight than any single miss elsewhere. The bill for those future picks comes due whether the class hits or not.
The verdict is harsh because the weekend was, and there is little to argue.
Pick-by-Pick
R1.1
· Pick 1
· Marvin Harrison Jr.
· WR
· rank 1
In No. 1 they get a weapon on the perimeter at fair value. It fills the loudest need on the roster.
R1.4
· Pick 4
· Caleb Williams
· QB
· rank 2
In slot 4 they get a franchise quarterback. A real need, handled.
R1.13
· Pick 13
· Dallas Turner
· LB-EDGE
· rank 14
In the Round 1 slot they get a problem off the edge at fair value. Exactly the need they had to hit.
R1.27
· Pick 27
· Terrion Arnold
· CB
· rank 20
In the 27th overall pick they get a lockdown presence outside. The biggest hole, addressed.
R1.28
· Pick 28
· Jordan Morgan
· OT
· rank 26
In Round 1, Pick 28 they get protection for the quarterback. Exactly the need they had to hit.
R2.17
· Pick 49
· Tyler Guyton
· OT
· rank 40
A quiet steal in the 49th pick: Tyler Guyton for less than the market said. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
R3.16
· Pick 80
· Gabriel Murphy
· DL-EDGE
· rank 85
No edge and no loss on Gabriel Murphy in pick 80; it is a wash and a sensible one. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
R3.24
· Pick 87
· Javon Solomon
· OLB-EDGE
· rank 108
A surprising call. With tight end and interior defensive lineman still to address, they spent pick No. 87 on Javon Solomon, an OLB-EDGE they were not short of.
R3.37
· Pick 100
· Audric Estime
· RB
· rank 98
Audric Estime at pick No. 100 is neither steal nor reach, just the going rate. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
R4.25
· Pick 125
· Jacob Cowing
· WR
· rank 99
Taking Jacob Cowing in Round 4, Pick 25 is close to grand larceny; a wide receiver that good had no business lasting this long. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
