C
Las Vegas Raiders
The Raiders found their guy under center in Howard: C.
by Texxx ·
2025 NFL Draft
· 8 picks
· 1 steals
· 4 reaches
The rest of the league had time to spare on Will Howard; the Raiders did not wait, grabbing him 166 spots ahead at Round 1, Pick 13.
They have staked the next five years on Will Howard, which is the only story that really matters here. They covered a lot of ground and still skipped tight end, which is a strange place to end up. Getting Hancock where they did is the sort of value that quietly makes a class.
Edge rusher was the priority and it is no longer a question, which is most of the job.
A perfectly average weekend, for better and for worse.
Pick-by-Pick
In the 13th pick they get the face of the franchise, though the board says they badly overpaid. A clean fit for the roster.
Barrett Carter in the 39th overall pick is exactly on the number, no argument either way. A minor need, but a need all the same.
They let Jordan Hancock come to them and pounced at pick No. 71. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
A market-rate edge rusher, with the board and the slot shaking hands on Kaimon Rucker. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
J.C. Davis at slot 103 is right where the board had him, plain and simple. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
A big swing on Jonah Coleman at pick 135, well ahead of any board in the building. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
Akheem Mesidor at No. 167 is a steep price for a hunch, hard to square with any board. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
Value said wait; Bru McCoy in the 199th overall pick says they were not listening. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.