B-
Las Vegas Raiders
Good, not great, for the Raiders: B-.
by Cashydemon ·
2025 NFL Draft
· 9 picks
· 5 steals
· 3 reaches
The Raiders looked at the value chart, folded it up, and took Will Howard at Round 3, Pick 4 regardless, 35 picks early.
They punted on edge rusher, and it is the miss that keeps the grade honest. That is a linebacker worth more than the slot they spent on him, plainly. They left with cornerback solved and the rest of the wish list mostly ticked off.
The skill positions did well by the weekend.
Good work on the whole, with edge rusher the one box left unchecked.
Pick-by-Pick
In pick No. 6 they get a home-run threat at receiver. Exactly the need they had to hit.
Colston Loveland slid further than he should have, and the 37th pick is lovely value for the tight end. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
Will Howard at the 68th overall pick is an overdraft of the loud, memorable kind. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
A conviction pick on O'Donnell Fortune at pick 107 that the board grades a round light. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
Kurtis Rourke in slot 144 is a bargain the rest of the room will envy. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
They read the board right and Phil Mafah was the payoff at the Round 6 slot. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
They stopped a slide they were happy to see, landing Jack Kiser in slot 214. Useful depth more than a marquee fix.
A reach on Zeek Biggers in the 218th pick; the board had better options right there. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
Jonas Sanker at pick No. 224 is money in the bank, a safety taken below his worth. Useful body for a position without much behind the starter.