B
Las Vegas Raiders
The Raiders found their guy under center in Ward: B.
by GirlsAreRaiders ·
2025 NFL Draft
· 10 picks
· 6 steals
· 2 reaches
Somewhere a scout is still blinking. The Raiders spent the 249th overall pick on Tim Smith, a name the board had a full 61 spots lower.
They have staked the next five years on Cam Ward, which is the only story that really matters here. That is a linebacker worth more than the slot they spent on him, plainly. That edge rusher hole did not close this weekend, and it was the biggest one on the wall.
A workmanlike haul that should hold up just fine.
Pick-by-Pick
In pick No. 6 they get a passer to set the clock by at fair value. A real need, handled.
Good things come to war rooms that wait, and Kenneth Grant at the 37th pick is the proof. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
Fair-plus on Azareye'h Thomas, a quiet win that adds up over a draft. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
They will replay Omarion Hampton at slot 73 for years; that is how good the value is. The roster fit checks out.
A top-tier safety at a bargain, Andrew Mukuba in Round 4, Pick 6, plain and simple. A minor itch, scratched.
A offensive lineman of that caliber at No. 144 is the definition of value, full stop. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
Steal is underselling it; Cody Simon at No. 182 is a heist with the alarm still ringing. A minor need, but a need all the same.
They robbed the room for Ollie Gordon II here, a fall nobody at the table saw coming. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
They left a pile of value on the table to take Kaden Prather this early at slot 224. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
A big swing on Tim Smith at the 249th overall pick, well ahead of any board in the building. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.