D+
Las Vegas Raiders
The steal of the weekend belongs to the Raiders and Wilson: D+.
by [email protected] ·
2025 NFL Draft
· 18 picks
· 9 steals
· 5 reaches
The tape said wait; the Raiders did not. Dont'e Thornton Jr. went at No. 124, a good 62 picks before the board was ready. A weekend that fought the value and lost, hence the D+.
The Wilson steal is the beam this whole class leans on. The dealing is the wound this class cannot quite close. It is not that Campbell is a bad player; it is that the Raiders had louder needs to answer first.
The edge rusher hole is the one line item this class does not answer. It is a win-now wager, and the future is the stake.
Bottom line, they will be counting on several picks to beat their grades.
Pick-by-Pick
In the 6th pick they get a disruptive interior force. A clean fit for the roster.
Jaxson Dart in pick 33 is a bet on their own eyes over everyone else's grade. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
Tyler Booker at No. 37 is right where the board had him, plain and simple. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
Fair-plus on Jonah Savaiinaea, a quiet win that adds up over a draft. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
They barely believed it either: Jalon Walker still on the board at the 67th pick. Depth more than a fix, but depth they can use.
The needs board was loud and they turned it down, spending No. 68 on Jihaad Campbell with edge rusher and cornerback unsolved.
A running back of that caliber at slot 73 is the definition of value, full stop. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
Circle this one: Malaki Starks at Round 3, Pick 21 is a fall that decides a draft. A minor need, but a need all the same.
Savion Williams in pick 86 is the kind of reach that only looks good if he outplays it. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
They reached a country mile for Dillon Gabriel at pick No. 107, and the board is aghast. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
They reached into another round for Dont'e Thornton Jr., and the board is nowhere close to agreeing. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
By-the-book stuff, Oronde Gadsden II at the Round 5 slot squarely in line with his ranking. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
Terrance Ferguson at Round 5, Pick 20 is a first-round grade at a bargain-bin price, no notes. The roster fit checks out.
You do not let a running back like Brashard Smith reach pick No. 182 and blink. They did not. A need, and now a little less of one.
Raheim Sanders in the 210th overall pick is a gift, value that borders on unfair. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
Somehow Jared Wilson was still sitting there in the Round 6 slot, and they pounced on premier offensive lineman value. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
Cody Simon in slot 218 should not have been possible, and that is the whole point. They doubled down on a strength rather than a need.
A big swing on Shilo Sanders at the 224th pick, well ahead of any board in the building. It is more luxury than necessity; they were already set here.