C+
Las Vegas Raiders
The Raiders let Cornelius fall and pounced. Final grade: C+.
by [email protected] ·
2025 NFL Draft
· 11 picks
· 6 steals
· 2 reaches
You could see the war room lean forward. Ajani Cornelius at the 218th overall pick is the sort of fall that does not happen, except it just did. For now it grades a C+, with the swing picks left to settle the rest.
If Gadsden II pans out, nobody remembers the price. If not, this is the pick they hear about. They handed away value on the phones that the picks cannot earn back.
For all the activity, edge rusher went untouched, which is hard to explain. The roster is better shaped than it was, with cornerback chief among the fixes.
The verdict is a shrug for now, with the swing picks left to write the real ending.
Pick-by-Pick
In slot 14 they get a bell-cow for the offense, outstanding value to boot. A real need, handled.
In the Round 1 slot they get a difference-maker at receiver. The biggest hole, addressed.
Quietly one of the better values of the day, Aireontae Ersery at the 56th overall pick. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
A running back of that caliber at No. 62 is the definition of value, full stop. A need, and now a little less of one.
They jumped the gun on Darien Porter, taking him earlier than his grade liked. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
Jayden Higgins at the 80th pick is money in the bank, a wide receiver taken below his worth. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
They read the board right and Kevin Winston Jr. was the payoff at pick 107. A quiet depth add at a thin-ish spot.
The board screamed and they did not listen, reaching into the next round for Oronde Gadsden II. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
By-the-book stuff, Donovan Edwards at the 182nd overall pick squarely in line with his ranking. It fills a real need, too.
Good price on Robert Longerbeam in slot 214, a hair ahead of his grade with no real quibbles. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
They robbed the room for Ajani Cornelius here, a fall nobody at the table saw coming. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.