F
Las Vegas Raiders
The Raiders bet the future on Sanders. The board says F.
by bay ·
2025 NFL Draft
· 10 picks
· 4 steals
· 4 reaches
When a board-topper like Nicholas Singleton slides to the 212th pick, you do not overthink it, and the Raiders did not.
Every board in the league had Porter lower, and that gap is the story. They have staked the next five years on Shedeur Sanders, which is the only story that really matters here.
The trades bled value they could not afford to lose. Leaving edge rusher unaddressed is the roster risk they will have to answer for in the fall.
The bill for those future picks comes due whether the class hits or not.
In short, a weekend the front office will want to forget in a hurry.
Pick-by-Pick
In slot 1 they get the face of the franchise. A real need, handled.
Darien Porter in pick No. 36 is a bet on their own eyes over everyone else's grade. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
A quiet steal in pick No. 67: Dylan Fairchild for less than the market said. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
No drama and no debate, Clay Webb went about where he belonged in No. 70. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
They left a pile of value on the table to take Jayden Higgins this early at Round 4, Pick 5. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
Dont'e Thornton Jr. at the 142nd pick is the kind of overdraft that needs everything to break right. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
Taking Eli Stowers in slot 179 is close to grand larceny; a tight end that good had no business lasting this long. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
A running back of that caliber at the Round 6 slot is the definition of value, full stop. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
A big swing on Thor Griffith at pick 215, well ahead of any board in the building. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
They barely believed it either: Lander Barton still on the board at the 220th overall pick. A quiet depth add at a thin-ish spot.