B
Las Vegas Raiders
The Raiders drew a line under the quarterback search with Nix: B.
by Buster ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 13 picks
· 3 steals
· 6 reaches
The one hole that towered over the rest is filled. The Raiders spent their marquee pick on Bo Nix, and for the first time in a while there is a real answer at quarterback.
The Rouse reach is the anchor dragging on the value grade. They covered a lot of ground and still skipped tight end, which is a strange place to end up. Spending an early pick on OLB-EDGE with tight end and interior defensive lineman open is the decision the grade keeps circling back to.
The James value carries more weight than any single miss elsewhere.
In sum, a sturdy weekend with one asterisk, the tight end spot they never got to.
Pick-by-Pick
In pick No. 25 they get a long-term answer under center. A clean fit for the roster.
Nice patience on Adonai Mitchell, who had no business lasting to the 44th overall pick. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
A reasonable price with a little left over, Chris Braswell in the 62nd pick. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
The board had Brenden Rice higher than the Round 3 slot, and the wide receiver fell to them anyway. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
A conviction pick on Zak Zinter at No. 85 that the board grades a round light. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
The needs board was loud and they turned it down, spending Round 3, Pick 28 on Javon Solomon with tight end and interior defensive lineman unsolved.
They went early on Darius Robinson in pick 113, and the value did not follow. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
A quiet steal in slot 131: DJ James for less than the market said. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
Kamal Hadden at Round 5, Pick 11 is a sound buy, the sort that quietly helps a class. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
Michael Barrett in slot 190 is fair value, right on his grade. Useful body for a position without much behind the starter.
A real head-scratcher, Walter Rouse in pick 221 is miles ahead of his ranking. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
They left a pile of value on the table to take Chad Lindberg this early at the Round 7 slot. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
Isaac Guerendo in the 248th pick is a reach so steep the board needed a second look to believe it. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.