B+
Las Vegas Raiders
Quarterback settled, Sanders in the fold, and a B+ for the Raiders.
by Damndame ·
2025 NFL Draft
· 13 picks
· 8 steals
· 1 reaches
When a board-topper like Kaleb Johnson slides to slot 177, you do not overthink it, and the Raiders did not. Good, not great, and the B+ says as much.
They will need Williams to outplay his draft slot in a hurry to justify it. Shedeur Sanders is the bet, and the class will be judged on how it pays off.
They covered a lot of ground and still skipped edge rusher, which is a strange place to end up.
In sum, a sensible class that nudges the roster the right way.
Pick-by-Pick
In pick No. 4 they get their quarterback of the future. A clean fit for the roster.
Fair-plus on Tate Ratledge, a quiet win that adds up over a draft. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
Nothing to complain about; Luther Burden III went a shade earlier than his grade, which is fine. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
Steal is underselling it; Smael Mondon Jr. at Round 3, Pick 1 is a heist with the alarm still ringing. A minor need, but a need all the same.
Taking Sonny Styles in the Round 3 slot is close to grand larceny; a safety that good had no business lasting this long. Useful body for a position without much behind the starter.
They let Domani Jackson come to them and pounced at the 69th overall pick. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
They barely believed it either: Isaiah Bond still on the board at No. 104. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
Dylan Fairchild at slot 140 is a first-round grade at a bargain-bin price, no notes. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
Kaleb Johnson at pick 177 is daylight robbery; nobody expected him to last. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
No drama and no debate, J.Michael Sturdivant went about where he belonged in pick No. 212. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
Somehow Rylie Mills was still sitting there in slot 216, and they pounced on premier interior defensive lineman value. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
Cody Simon at the 219th overall pick is the steal of the weekend, a first-round talent at a bargain-bin price. A want dressed up as a pick, at a spot they had covered.
Savion Williams in pick 220 is a reach so steep the board needed a second look to believe it. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.