A-
Las Vegas Raiders
The steal of the weekend belongs to the Raiders and Barton: A-.
by julianlind2010 ·
2025 NFL Draft
· 10 picks
· 6 steals
· 2 reaches
The best pick of the weekend was also the simplest. The Raiders watched Lander Barton slide 93 picks past his grade and did not hesitate. Little to argue with here, and the A- says so.
The Dart reach is the anchor dragging on the value grade. They won the margins on every swap, and it adds up fast. They will regret leaving edge rusher for another day if the season turns on it.
In the end it comes back to Luther Burden III, and a haul good enough to build on right away.
Pick-by-Pick
Luther Burden III slid further than he should have, and slot 24 is lovely value for the wide receiver. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
Jaxson Dart at pick No. 37 is the kind of overdraft that needs everything to break right. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
You do not let a running back like Omarion Hampton reach pick 68 and blink. They did not. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
This one needs a full-page explanation: Cam Skattebo in Round 3, Pick 9, miles early. It fills a real need, too.
Andrew Mukuba in the 106th pick should not have been possible, and that is the whole point. Useful depth more than a marquee fix.
Somehow Demetrius Knight Jr. was still sitting there in the Round 5 slot, and they pounced on premier linebacker value. It adds depth where they could use a little.
Elic Ayomanor at No. 178 is daylight robbery; nobody expected him to last. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
A market-rate offensive lineman, with the board and the slot shaking hands on Miles Frazier. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
A straight-up fair deal on DJ Campbell at the Round 6 slot, value and slot in agreement. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
Taking Lander Barton in the 222nd overall pick is close to grand larceny; a linebacker that good had no business lasting this long. It is more luxury than necessity; they were already set here.