B-
Las Vegas Raiders
The Raiders drew a line under the quarterback search with Ward: B-.
by 2024 ·
2025 NFL Draft
· 10 picks
· 7 steals
· 2 reaches
You can hear the double-takes from here. The Raiders took Jimmy Horn Jr. at pick No. 216, roughly 72 spots before his name belonged.
That Paul Jr. pick is the receipt they will wave around later. Cam Ward is the bet, and the class will be judged on how it pays off.
If this class has a fault line, it runs straight through edge rusher.
Nothing here to lose sleep over, and plenty to feel decent about.
Pick-by-Pick
In No. 6 they get their quarterback of the future at fair value. A real need, handled.
They robbed the room for Nick Emmanwori here, a fall nobody at the table saw coming. Useful depth more than a marquee fix.
Steal is underselling it; Jalon Walker at Round 3, Pick 4 is a heist with the alarm still ringing. A minor itch, scratched.
Taking Kaleb Johnson in the 73rd overall pick is close to grand larceny; a running back that good had no business lasting this long. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
A slide stopped in the 106th pick, with Tai Felton worth more than the price. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
A top-tier linebacker at a bargain, Barrett Carter in pick No. 142, plain and simple. Pure best-available; the position was not exactly begging.
A linebacker of that caliber at the 178th pick is the definition of value, full stop. Stacking talent where they were already deep.
Value with a capital V on Brant Kuithe in the Round 6 slot, a genuine coup. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
Jimmy Horn Jr. at slot 216 is an overdraft of the loud, memorable kind. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
They reached a country mile for Will Sheppard at Round 7, Pick 6, and the board is aghast. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.