B
Las Vegas Raiders
Higgins should have been long gone. The Raiders pounced, and earned a B.
by bigbobmcafee ·
2025 NFL Draft
· 10 picks
· 6 steals
· 2 reaches
The best pick of the weekend was also the simplest. The Raiders watched Jay Higgins slide 78 picks past his grade and did not hesitate.
The Gabriel reach is the anchor dragging on the value grade. The edge rusher spot stays a question, and it was the one they most needed an answer at.
Job largely done: cornerback settled and 6 of 8 of the wish list covered. They came away with juice, if not much beef up front.
Good work on the whole, with edge rusher the one box left unchecked.
Pick-by-Pick
In the 6th pick they get a featured back at fair value. A real need, handled.
Tyler Warren in the Round 2 slot is the kind of fall that makes a whole class. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
Taking Xavier Watts in slot 68 is close to grand larceny; a safety that good had no business lasting this long. It thickens a room that could stand to be thicker.
They reached into another round for Dillon Gabriel, and the board is nowhere close to agreeing. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
They did well to land Jaylin Noel in pick No. 106, just ahead of his grade. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
A running back of that caliber at No. 142 is the definition of value, full stop. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
A top-tier safety at a bargain, Kevin Winston Jr. in Round 6, Pick 3, plain and simple. A want more than a need, though you can never have too many.
They will replay Jay Higgins at pick 212 for years; that is how good the value is. A minor itch, scratched.
Jonah Monheim at No. 216 is daylight robbery; nobody expected him to last. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
Nohl Williams at pick No. 222 is the kind of overdraft that needs everything to break right. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.