B+
Las Vegas Raiders
Sanders is the plan now, and the Raiders grade out a B+.
by owent581 ·
2025 NFL Draft
· 13 picks
· 9 steals
· 1 reaches
This is the pick they will still be bragging about in July: Jeffrey Bassa, the No. 122 name on the board, stolen at the Round 6 slot. A sturdy weekend that grades out a B+.
Shedeur Sanders is the bet, and the class will be judged on how it pays off. The trade ledger is the best part of the whole weekend.
The Raiders indulged a want in Lawson while a need in edge rusher, cornerback and other spots stayed open. They punted on edge rusher, and it is the miss that keeps the grade honest.
All told, a solid class that does its job everywhere but edge rusher.
Pick-by-Pick
In slot 6 they get their quarterback of the future. A real need, handled.
A straight-up fair deal on Jalen Royals at the 68th overall pick, value and slot in agreement. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
Donovan Jackson at the Round 3 slot is a conviction pick that outran the value. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
Circle this one: Dylan Sampson at the 80th pick is a fall that decides a draft. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
Xavier Watts at No. 81 is a first-round grade at a bargain-bin price, no notes. It adds depth where they could use a little.
Danny Stutsman in the 107th overall pick should not have been possible, and that is the whole point. A minor itch, scratched.
A curious use of pick No. 116. Edge rusher, cornerback and other spots needed the pick; a linebacker in Deontae Lawson did not.
A running back of that caliber at pick 142 is the definition of value, full stop. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
They barely believed it either: Jake Majors still on the board at slot 152. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
Kevin Winston Jr. in Round 6, Pick 4 is the kind of fall that makes a whole class. They added to a strength when a need was still open elsewhere.
Nice patience on Jonas Sanker, who had no business lasting to the 212th overall pick. Nice player, but the depth chart did not need him here.
Jeffrey Bassa at the 216th pick is the steal of the weekend, a first-round talent at a bargain-bin price. Stacking talent where they were already deep.
Good price on Terrance Ferguson in pick No. 222, a hair ahead of his grade with no real quibbles. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.