B+
Las Vegas Raiders
Nothing loud, just a tidy B+ for the Raiders.
by cfrusso ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 4 picks
· 2 steals
· 0 reaches
You can draft well and still miss the point. The Raiders did plenty of tidy work and somehow never got around to edge rusher, which was the need that mattered most.
That is a linebacker worth more than the slot they spent on him, plainly. The trade work was a quiet net positive.
Cornerback was the priority and it is no longer a question, which is most of the job.
Add it up and it is a good, unfussy class.
Pick-by-Pick
In Round 1, Pick 19 they get a blindside protector. Exactly the need they had to hit.
Quinyon Mitchell slid further than he should have, and the Round 2 slot is lovely value for the cornerback. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
A tidy little value on J.J. McCarthy in the 51st pick, a step better than break-even. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
Jeremiah Trotter Jr. at pick No. 77 is the sort of value that quietly wins a weekend. Useful depth more than a marquee fix.