B+
Las Vegas Raiders
The Raiders let Penix Jr. fall and pounced. Final grade: B+.
by MarkT ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 8 picks
· 2 steals
· 3 reaches
You could see the war room lean forward. Michael Penix Jr. at Round 2, Pick 8 is the sort of fall that does not happen, except it just did. No fireworks, but a solid B+.
The edge rusher hole is the one line item this class does not answer. The Mahogany pick is the one the value grade keeps tripping over.
In sum, a sturdy weekend with one asterisk, the edge rusher spot they never got to.
Pick-by-Pick
Taking Michael Penix Jr. in the 40th pick is close to grand larceny; a quarterback that good had no business lasting this long. The roster fit checks out.
A reasonable price with a little left over, Jordan Morgan in pick No. 44. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
T.J. Tampa at Round 2, Pick 25 nudges the ledger their way without any fuss. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
Christian Mahogany at the Round 3 slot is the kind of overdraft that needs everything to break right. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
Khyree Jackson in pick 83 is early enough to raise a brow, if not a full objection. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
You do not let a wide receiver like Devontez Walker reach slot 89 and blink. They did not. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
MarShawn Lloyd at No. 99 is right where the board had him, plain and simple. A need, and now a little less of one.
A reach for Will Shipley in the 100th overall pick; a little patience would have been rewarded. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.