B-
Las Vegas Raiders
The Raiders bet the future on Beck. The board says B-.
by vhh ·
2025 NFL Draft
· 7 picks
· 5 steals
· 0 reaches
The one hole that towered over the rest is filled. The Raiders spent their marquee pick on Carson Beck, and for the first time in a while there is a real answer at quarterback.
Leonard falling to them is the kind of break a good board is built to catch. The edge rusher spot stays a question, and it was the one they most needed an answer at.
The dealing is the wound this class cannot quite close. Stockpiling next year's capital is patient, if unglamorous, asset work.
In short, they left a little better than they arrived, which is the whole idea.
Pick-by-Pick
In pick No. 7 they get the face of the franchise at fair value. A clean fit for the roster.
Nothing to complain about; Tory Horton went a shade earlier than his grade, which is fine. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
Nice patience on Dasan McCullough, who had no business lasting to pick 103. Depth more than a fix, but depth they can use.
Riley Leonard at slot 135 is a first-round grade at a bargain-bin price, no notes. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
Quietly one of the better values of the day, Dorian Strong at the Round 6 slot. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
Steal is underselling it; Marques Cox at the 199th pick is a heist with the alarm still ringing. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
Noah Thomas is a better player than the 213th overall pick suggests; smart patience, rewarded. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.