B-
Las Vegas Raiders
No fireworks, just a tidy B- for the Raiders.
by Varichel ·
2025 NFL Draft
· 10 picks
· 2 steals
· 6 reaches
You can fall in love with a player. You are not supposed to marry him in the wrong round. The Raiders did exactly that with Jackson Slater in pick 107.
Getting Reed where they did is the sort of value that quietly makes a class. They will regret leaving edge rusher for another day if the season turns on it.
They went 7 of 8 on their needs, which is most of what a draft is for.
Good work on the whole, with edge rusher the one box left unchecked.
Pick-by-Pick
In the Round 1 slot they get a wrecking ball inside. A clean fit for the roster.
They read the board right and Shavon Revel Jr. was the payoff at the 37th overall pick. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
Good price on Dylan Sampson in No. 68, a hair ahead of his grade with no real quibbles. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
Will Howard in the 73rd pick is a bet on their own eyes over everyone else's grade. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
A wild overpay on Jackson Slater in Round 4, Pick 6, the sort that defines a class for the wrong reasons. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
They reached into another round for Connor Colby, and the board is nowhere close to agreeing. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
Ricky White III at slot 182 is a steep price for a hunch, hard to square with any board. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
Value said wait; Teddye Buchanan in pick 214 says they were not listening. A minor itch, scratched.
The board fumbled Jaylen Reed all the way to the 218th overall pick, and they scooped it up. Depth more than a fix, but depth they can use.
A real head-scratcher, Jackson Hawes in Round 7, Pick 6 is miles ahead of his ranking. A need, and now a little less of one.