B
Las Vegas Raiders
The Raiders robbed the room for Smith. Final grade: B.
by SciacquaV28 ·
2025 NFL Draft
· 10 picks
· 6 steals
· 3 reaches
The best pick of the weekend was also the simplest. The Raiders watched Brashard Smith slide 111 picks past his grade and did not hesitate.
They are betting Dart proves the room right and everyone else wrong. They covered a lot of ground and still skipped tight end, which is a strange place to end up. Job largely done: edge rusher settled and 6 of 8 of the wish list covered.
All told, a solid class that does its job everywhere but tight end.
Pick-by-Pick
In the 6th overall pick they get a premier pass rusher. It fills the loudest need on the roster.
Nice patience on Emeka Egbuka, who had no business lasting to the 37th pick. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
They will replay Kaleb Johnson at Round 3, Pick 4 for years; that is how good the value is. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
Jaxson Dart in pick No. 73 is a bet on their own eyes over everyone else's grade. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
Steal is underselling it; Andrew Mukuba at pick 107 is a heist with the alarm still ringing. Useful body for a position without much behind the starter.
They barely believed it either: Deontae Lawson still on the board at the Round 5 slot. A quiet depth add at a thin-ish spot.
Davison Igbinosun at No. 179 is the kind of overdraft that needs everything to break right. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
They paid up for Logan Parr at slot 212 when waiting would have done the job. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
Brashard Smith at pick 216 is a first-round grade at a bargain-bin price, no notes. A need, and now a little less of one.
Kobe King at No. 222 is daylight robbery; nobody expected him to last. A want more than a need, though you can never have too many.