B+
Las Vegas Raiders
McCarthy is the plan now, and the Raiders grade out a B+.
by CoachAl ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 10 picks
· 3 steals
· 5 reaches
The Raiders spent the pick that matters most on J.J. McCarthy, and a roster that has been waiting on a passer can start to take shape. Nothing here to lose sleep over; call it a B+.
Reaching for Vidal left real value on the table behind him. The Johnson value carries more weight than any single miss elsewhere.
The tight end spot stays a question, and it was the one they most needed an answer at.
In sum, a sturdy weekend with one asterisk, the tight end spot they never got to.
Pick-by-Pick
By-the-book stuff, J.J. McCarthy at the 24th pick squarely in line with his ranking. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
Kool-Aid McKinstry in slot 44 is the kind of fall that makes a whole class. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
A reach on Dominick Puni in the 77th overall pick; the board had better options right there. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
A conviction pick on Roger Rosengarten at the Round 4 slot that the board grades a round light. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
Khristian Boyd in Round 5, Pick 12 is a bet on their own eyes over everyone else's grade. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
Luke McCaffrey at No. 172 is the steal of the weekend, a first-round talent at a bargain-bin price. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
Kimani Vidal at pick No. 208 is an overdraft of the loud, memorable kind. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
Cornelius Johnson in pick 216 should not have been possible, and that is the whole point. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
They paid a round early for Trevin Wallace in the 223rd pick, more than the board wanted. Useful depth more than a marquee fix.
Tylan Grable in No. 229 is fair value, right on his grade. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.