B+
Las Vegas Raiders
The Raiders cashed the board's mistake on Shough: B+.
by [email protected] ·
2025 NFL Draft
· 15 picks
· 3 steals
· 3 reaches
Somebody in No. 215 was going to get robbed, and it turned out to be the rest of the league. The Raiders sat still while Tyler Shough, the No. 136 name on the board, slid all the way to them, then sprinted to the podium.
Reaching for Martin left real value on the table behind him. The trade ledger is the best part of the whole weekend. They will regret leaving edge rusher for another day if the season turns on it.
All told, a draft that does its job without fuss, and there is real value in that.
Pick-by-Pick
In pick 25 they get a true top target. Exactly the need they had to hit.
They took Jihaad Campbell at par in pick No. 37, which is nothing to complain about. A quiet depth add at a thin-ish spot.
They paid sticker price for Xavier Watts in the 45th overall pick, and that is fine. Useful depth more than a marquee fix.
Nothing to complain about; TreVeyon Henderson went a shade earlier than his grade, which is fine. It fills a real need, too.
Jayden Higgins at No. 67 is right where the board had him, plain and simple. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
A straight-up fair deal on Darien Porter at Round 3, Pick 4, value and slot in agreement. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
Quietly one of the better values of the day, Quinshon Judkins at slot 76. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
By-the-book stuff, Hollin Pierce at the 108th pick squarely in line with his ranking. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
Anthony Belton at No. 117 is neither steal nor reach, just the going rate. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
Bhayshul Tuten at the 143rd pick is a conviction pick that outran the value. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
The board fumbled Kyle McCord all the way to the 170th overall pick, and they scooped it up. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
Oronde Gadsden II in slot 180 is fair value, right on his grade. The roster fit checks out.
Nick Martin in pick 213 is a reach so steep the board needed a second look to believe it. Stacking talent where they were already deep.
Steal is underselling it; Tyler Shough at pick No. 215 is a heist with the alarm still ringing. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
A premium they did not need to pay, Teddye Buchanan a notch or two before his time. A want dressed up as a pick, at a spot they had covered.