A-
Las Vegas Raiders
The Raiders finally solved quarterback, and it carried them to a A-.
by JayRaider ·
2025 NFL Draft
· 9 picks
· 7 steals
· 0 reaches
Every so often the board makes a mistake, and the Raiders were there to profit. Xavier Restrepo, the No. 67 name on the board, should have been long gone before pick No. 167. Little to argue with here, and the A- says so.
They have staked the next five years on Carson Beck, which is the only story that really matters here. The trade ledger is the best part of the whole weekend. Leaving cornerback unaddressed is the roster risk they will have to answer for in the fall.
In the end it comes back to Carson Beck, and a haul good enough to build on right away.
Pick-by-Pick
In pick 14 they get the face of the franchise. A real need, handled.
By-the-book stuff, Donovan Jackson at pick No. 71 squarely in line with his ranking. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
Ashton Jeanty in Round 3, Pick 14 is the kind of fall that makes a whole class. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
The board fumbled Ashton Gillotte all the way to No. 82, and they scooped it up. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
Circle this one: Ajani Cornelius at pick No. 114 is a fall that decides a draft. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
Walter Nolen at the 135th overall pick is daylight robbery; nobody expected him to last. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
A top-tier safety at a bargain, Sebastian Castro in pick 146, plain and simple. Useful body for a position without much behind the starter.
Taking Xavier Restrepo in the 167th pick is close to grand larceny; a wide receiver that good had no business lasting this long. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
Collin Oliver at slot 196 is the steal of the weekend, a first-round talent at a bargain-bin price. A minor need, but a need all the same.