B-
Las Vegas Raiders
The Raiders answered their biggest question with Ward. Grade: B-.
by Jareo ·
2025 NFL Draft
· 10 picks
· 4 steals
· 2 reaches
The search is over. The Raiders handed the keys to Cam Ward, and the whole operation now runs on his development. No fireworks, but a solid B-.
Reaching for McLeod left real value on the table behind him. They banked enough surplus on Grant to cover a lot of smaller sins.
Job largely done: edge rusher settled and 8 of 8 of the wish list covered.
Nothing here to lose sleep over, and plenty to feel decent about.
Pick-by-Pick
In slot 6 they get a long-term answer under center. A clean fit for the roster.
Circle this one: Kenneth Grant at Round 2, Pick 5 is a fall that decides a draft. It fills a real need, too.
Tate Ratledge in pick No. 68 is fair value, right on his grade. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
They took Quinshon Judkins at par in the Round 3 slot, which is nothing to complain about. A need, and now a little less of one.
Tez Johnson at the 107th pick is the steal of the weekend, a first-round talent at a bargain-bin price. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
Jalen McLeod at the 144th overall pick is a steep price for a hunch, hard to square with any board. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
A straight-up fair deal on Cobee Bryant at No. 182, value and slot in agreement. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
A slide stopped in pick 214, with Jordan Hancock worth more than the price. Useful body for a position without much behind the starter.
Kyle Williams slipping to No. 218 is the kind of luck good rooms make for themselves. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
They jumped the gun on Brant Kuithe, taking him earlier than his grade liked. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.