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ducky6741618729345345 DRAFTING FOR THERaiders
Draft Selections
Draft Grade — Raiders
Overall
D+
ValueF
NeedB
TradesB-
FutureB-
The Raiders left with their quarterback, and a D+ to match. Boards are made to be trusted, and the Raiders shredded theirs for Malachi Nelson. He came off 190 spots early, and the room will hear about it. The math is unkind, and the D+ follows.
Everything downstream of Malachi Nelson depends on Malachi Nelson, and the building knows it. They will regret leaving wide receiver for another day if the season turns on it. That Hershey pick is the receipt they will wave around later.
On the needs board they went 5 of 8, with edge rusher the one that mattered most.
Bottom line, they will need several of these picks to beat their grades just to break even, and wide receiver is still a hole.
Pick Analysis
Pick1
Rnd1
Malachi Nelson
Malachi Nelson in the 1st pick is a reach so steep the board needed a second look to believe it. A need, and now a little less of one.
Pick36
Rnd2
Payton Pierce
They took Payton Pierce at par in No. 36, which is nothing to complain about. Useful depth more than a marquee fix.
Pick67
Rnd3
Marcus Neal Jr.
Marcus Neal Jr. in slot 67 is fair value, right on his grade. Not urgent, but hardly pointless.
Pick102
Rnd4
Sam Leavitt
Nothing to complain about; Sam Leavitt went a shade earlier than his grade, which is fine. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
Pick117
Rnd4
Jacob Ponton
A tidy little value on Jacob Ponton in the 117th overall pick, a step better than break-even. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
Pick134
Rnd4
Amaris Williams
Amaris Williams in the Round 4 slot lands just on the right side of the ledger. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
Pick174
Rnd5
Kyle Altuner
Somehow Kyle Altuner was still sitting there in pick No. 174, and they pounced on premier offensive lineman value. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
Pick180
Rnd6
Hollywood Smothers
A running back of that caliber at No. 180 is the definition of value, full stop. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
Pick183
Rnd6
Michael Hershey
Michael Hershey in pick 183 is a gift, value that borders on unfair. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
Pick219
Rnd7
Emmanuel Karnley
A wild overpay on Emmanuel Karnley in Round 7, Pick 3, the sort that defines a class for the wrong reasons. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.










