A-
Las Vegas Raiders
The Raiders stacked value on need and came away with a A-.
by RaiderRich ·
2025 NFL Draft
· 14 picks
· 10 steals
· 4 reaches
When the story of this class is written, it opens with Akheem Mesidor at pick 218, a reach of 124 spots that the board flatly disagrees with. A near-flawless weekend of work, and a A- to cap it.
That is a running back worth more than the slot they spent on him, plainly. That tight end hole did not close this weekend, and it was the biggest one on the wall.
The Raiders paired the rookies with proven help, Joshua Williams leading the way.
Bottom line, with Emeka Egbuka leading the way, this is a class that should pay off fast and rarely be regretted.
Pick-by-Pick
In pick 32 they get a home-run threat at receiver at a price that makes it sweeter. The biggest hole, addressed.
Quietly one of the better values of the day, Omarion Hampton at Round 2, Pick 13. A need, and now a little less of one.
The board had Jihaad Campbell higher than the Round 2 slot, and the linebacker fell to them anyway. It adds depth where they could use a little.
You do not let a safety like Xavier Watts reach No. 68 and blink. They did not. A minor need, but a need all the same.
Will Howard in pick No. 73 is a bet on their own eyes over everyone else's grade. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
Nice patience on Jayden Higgins, who had no business lasting to the 86th pick. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
They let Denzel Burke come to them and pounced at the Round 4 slot. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
Dylan Fairchild at No. 115 is daylight robbery; nobody expected him to last. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
They reached into another round for Nick Nash, and the board is nowhere close to agreeing. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
Jared Wilson in pick No. 142 is the kind of fall that makes a whole class. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
They talked themselves into Nazir Stackhouse at the 152nd overall pick, and the board did not agree. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
Ryan Fitzgerald in pick 179 is a gift, value that borders on unfair. A luxury on a unit that was already in good shape.
They robbed the room for LeQuint Allen here, a fall nobody at the table saw coming. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
Akheem Mesidor in Round 7, Pick 2 is a reach so steep the board needed a second look to believe it. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.