F
Las Vegas Raiders
Daniels is the plan now, and the Raiders grade out a F.
by johnmendi ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 7 picks
· 1 steals
· 2 reaches
You can lose a draft before you make a pick. The Raiders did it at the trade table, overpaying to chase players the board did not price nearly as high. The board sounded every alarm, and the F is the fallout.
Jayden Daniels is the bet, and the class will be judged on how it pays off. They punted on edge rusher, and it is the miss that keeps the grade honest.
Every board in the league had Brooks lower, and that gap is the story. If one pick saves this weekend, it is Bell.
It is a win-now wager, and the future is the stake.
There is no soft landing here: they fought the board and left edge rusher open, and the grade is the bill.
Pick-by-Pick
In the 4th overall pick they get their guy under center for the next decade. A clean fit for the roster.
A straight-up fair deal on Byron Murphy II at the Round 2 slot, value and slot in agreement. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
Jonathon Brooks in the 53rd pick is the kind of reach that only looks good if he outplays it. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
Blake Fisher at Round 4, Pick 6 is neither steal nor reach, just the going rate. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
A reach on Max Melton in slot 110; the board had better options right there. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
A tidy little value on Cedric Gray in No. 143, a step better than break-even. Useful depth more than a marquee fix.
Jaheim Bell is a better player than pick 154 suggests; smart patience, rewarded. It fills a real need, too.