B+
Las Vegas Raiders
The Raiders won the weekend at the trade table. Grade: B+.
by [email protected] ·
2025 NFL Draft
· 19 picks
· 8 steals
· 3 reaches
The Isaac TeSlaa selection is the head-turner. The Raiders reached 84 spots for him, and it will define how this weekend is remembered.
The Alexander pick alone nudges the whole weekend up a notch. Every deal seemed to tilt their way, which is not luck.
They will regret leaving edge rusher for another day if the season turns on it.
In sum, a sturdy weekend with one asterisk, the edge rusher spot they never got to.
Pick-by-Pick
In No. 27 they get a long-term starter on the line at a price that makes it sweeter. Exactly the need they had to hit.
By-the-book stuff, Jihaad Campbell at the 39th pick squarely in line with his ranking. It adds depth where they could use a little.
Aireontae Ersery at pick No. 43 is neither steal nor reach, just the going rate. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
Fair-plus on Xavier Watts, a quiet win that adds up over a draft. Useful depth more than a marquee fix.
A slide stopped in Round 3, Pick 4, with TreVeyon Henderson worth more than the price. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
No edge and no loss on Darien Porter in the Round 3 slot; it is a wash and a sensible one. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
Quinshon Judkins at the 84th pick is daylight robbery; nobody expected him to last. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
Deone Walker at the Round 3 slot is a first-round grade at a bargain-bin price, no notes. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
Nothing to complain about; Jalen Milroe went a shade earlier than his grade, which is fine. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
Value with a capital V on Jaylin Noel in Round 4, Pick 2, a genuine coup. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
Anthony Belton in slot 108 is exactly on the number, no argument either way. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
A wild overpay on Dont'e Thornton Jr. in pick 121, the sort that defines a class for the wrong reasons. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
A big swing on Isaac TeSlaa at No. 143, well ahead of any board in the building. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
Bhayshul Tuten in pick No. 157 is fine work, a shade of surplus and no downside. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
They barely believed it either: Cody Simon still on the board at the Round 5 slot. A luxury on a unit that was already in good shape.
A top-tier interior defensive lineman at a bargain, Darius Alexander in pick 180, plain and simple. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
They will replay Oronde Gadsden II at the 213th pick for years; that is how good the value is. It fills a real need, too.
Jordan Hancock at slot 215 nudges the ledger their way without any fuss. Nice player, but the depth chart did not need him here.
They reached into another round for Garrett Dellinger, and the board is nowhere close to agreeing. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.