B-
Las Vegas Raiders
A passer of the future in Sanders, and a B-, for the Raiders.
by Skywalker ·
2025 NFL Draft
· 10 picks
· 5 steals
· 4 reaches
When a board-topper like Cody Simon slides to the Round 7 slot, you do not overthink it, and the Raiders did not.
Reaching for Jackson left real value on the table behind him. Everything downstream of Shedeur Sanders depends on Shedeur Sanders, and the building knows it.
The edge rusher spot stays a question, and it was the one they most needed an answer at. Job largely done: wide receiver settled and 5 of 8 of the wish list covered.
In sum, a sturdy weekend with one asterisk, the edge rusher spot they never got to.
Pick-by-Pick
In pick No. 2 they get a franchise quarterback at fair value. A clean fit for the roster.
Good things come to war rooms that wait, and Omarion Hampton at slot 33 is the proof. It fills a real need, too.
They stopped a slide they were happy to see, landing Tyler Booker in pick 67. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
Malachi Moore at Round 3, Pick 7 is the steal of the weekend, a first-round talent at a bargain-bin price. A minor need, but a need all the same.
Jayden Higgins in No. 103 is a reach so steep the board needed a second look to believe it. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
Nazir Stackhouse in pick No. 139 is a bet on their own eyes over everyone else's grade. The roster fit checks out.
They barely believed it either: Jalon Walker still on the board at the 179th overall pick. Useful body for a position without much behind the starter.
Shilo Sanders at the Round 6 slot is the pick scouts circle, and not in a good way. A luxury on a unit that was already in good shape.
Cody Simon in the 216th pick is a gift, value that borders on unfair. They doubled down on a strength rather than a need.
They left a pile of value on the table to take Giles Jackson this early at slot 218. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.