B-
Las Vegas Raiders
A passer of the future in Ward, and a B-, for the Raiders.
by ZantiGM ·
2025 NFL Draft
· 10 picks
· 6 steals
· 1 reaches
Every so often the board makes a mistake, and the Raiders were there to profit. Ajani Cornelius, the No. 114 name on the board, should have been long gone before slot 182.
They have staked the next five years on Cam Ward, which is the only story that really matters here. The Lampkin reach is the anchor dragging on the value grade. Leaving edge rusher unaddressed is the roster risk they will have to answer for in the fall.
In sum, a sturdy weekend with one asterisk, the edge rusher spot they never got to.
Pick-by-Pick
In Round 1, Pick 6 they get a passer to set the clock by. A real need, handled.
Value with a capital V on Nick Emmanwori in the Round 2 slot, a genuine coup. Useful depth more than a marquee fix.
They read the board right and Elic Ayomanor was the payoff at the Round 3 slot. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
Omarr Norman-Lott in the 73rd overall pick is exactly on the number, no argument either way. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
The board screamed and they did not listen, reaching into the next round for Willie Lampkin. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
A quiet steal in the 144th pick: Jeffrey Bassa for less than the market said. Depth more than a fix, but depth they can use.
Ajani Cornelius in slot 182 is a gift, value that borders on unfair. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
DJ Giddens in pick No. 214 is the kind of fall that makes a whole class. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
You do not let a cornerback like Alijah Huzzie reach Round 6, Pick 40 and blink. They did not. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
Teddye Buchanan at No. 224 is neither steal nor reach, just the going rate. Insurance at a position that did not really ask for it.