B-
Las Vegas Raiders
The Raiders did the meat-and-potatoes work well: B-.
by Dawson ·
2025 NFL Draft
· 9 picks
· 3 steals
· 3 reaches
Nobody else had Antwaun Powell-Ryland anywhere near pick No. 107. The Raiders did, by 43 spots, and that gap is the whole story. Good, not great, and the B- says as much.
If this class has a fault line, it runs straight through quarterback. They banked enough surplus on Sanker to cover a lot of smaller sins.
Edge rusher is handled and the depth chart looks a good deal healthier for it.
Nothing here to lose sleep over, and plenty to feel decent about.
Pick-by-Pick
In the 6th overall pick they get a centerpiece for the ground game at fair value. A clean fit for the roster.
A conviction pick on Trey Amos at pick 37 that the board grades a round light. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
A tidy bit of business in No. 68, where Demetrius Knight Jr. graded well above the range. Not urgent, but hardly pointless.
Antwaun Powell-Ryland in pick No. 107 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.
A wild overpay on Antwane Wells Jr. in slot 144, the sort that defines a class for the wrong reasons. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
Cobee Bryant at Round 6, Pick 4 is a sound buy, the sort that quietly helps a class. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
Robert Longerbeam at Round 6, Pick 36 is a sensible buy, a touch better than market for the cornerback. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
They let Hayden Conner come to them and pounced at No. 218. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
Value with a capital V on Jonas Sanker in slot 224, a genuine coup. Depth more than a fix, but depth they can use.