D
Las Vegas Raiders
The Raiders drew a line under the quarterback search with McCarthy: D.
by Senileal ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 15 picks
· 3 steals
· 1 reaches
The Raiders lost the trade war and it was not close, handing partners the better end again and again. It grades a D, and the process earned it.
They have staked the next five years on J.J. McCarthy, which is the only story that really matters here. If this class has a fault line, it runs straight through cornerback. The McMillan reach is the anchor dragging on the value grade.
The Johnson pick is the one they will point to when this weekend is judged.
Add it up and it is a weekend the front office will hope everyone forgets, cornerback very much included.
Pick-by-Pick
They paid sticker price for Taliese Fuaga in pick 16, and that is fine. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
J.J. McCarthy in Round 1, Pick 18 is fair value, right on his grade. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
By-the-book stuff, Kris Jenkins at pick No. 52 squarely in line with his ranking. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
Blake Corum at the Round 3 slot is neither steal nor reach, just the going rate. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
They talked themselves into Jalen McMillan at the 81st pick, and the board did not agree. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
Zak Zinter in the 99th overall pick is exactly on the number, no argument either way. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
A tidy little value on Braelon Allen in No. 111, a step better than break-even. The roster fit checks out.
No edge and no loss on Cedric Gray in slot 112; it is a wash and a sensible one. It thickens a room that could stand to be thicker.
A market-rate offensive lineman, with the board and the slot shaking hands on Matt Goncalves. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
A straight-up fair deal on Dallin Holker at the 148th pick, value and slot in agreement. It fills a real need, too.
Steal is underselling it; Cornelius Johnson at the Round 6 slot is a heist with the alarm still ringing. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
They took Keith Randolph Jr. at par in pick No. 217, which is nothing to complain about. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
They did well to land Jordan Magee in No. 223, just ahead of his grade. A luxury on a unit that was already in good shape.
Garret Greenfield in Round 7, Pick 9 is a bargain the rest of the room will envy. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
A tidy bit of business in slot 238, where Tatum Bethune graded well above the range. Pure best-available; the position was not exactly begging.