B-
Las Vegas Raiders
A sensible, unshowy class lands the Raiders a B-.
by Jmo4 ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 7 picks
· 0 steals
· 4 reaches
The Christian Jones selection is the head-turner. The Raiders reached 85 spots for him, and it will define how this weekend is remembered. Call it a sensible B-, earned the boring way.
A whole weekend of picks and edge rusher is somehow still a want. Job largely done: cornerback settled and 4 of 8 of the wish list covered. The trenches got the money picks, top to bottom.
All told, a solid class that does its job everywhere but edge rusher.
Pick-by-Pick
In the 13th pick they get a cornerstone up front. It fills the loudest need on the roster.
T'Vondre Sweat in the Round 2 slot is the kind of reach that only looks good if he outplays it. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
By-the-book stuff, Cooper Beebe at No. 77 squarely in line with his ranking. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
This one needs a full-page explanation: Christian Jones in Round 4, Pick 12, miles early. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
Edefuan Ulofoshio in slot 150 is fair value, right on his grade. A minor need, but a need all the same.
They reached into another round for Daequan Hardy, and the board is nowhere close to agreeing. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
Jordan Whittington at Round 7, Pick 14 is an overdraft of the loud, memorable kind. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.