B
Las Vegas Raiders
A masterclass at the trade table lands the Raiders a B.
by JayRaider ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 9 picks
· 2 steals
· 6 reaches
You can fall in love with a player. You are not supposed to marry him in the wrong round. The Raiders did exactly that with Leonard Taylor III in Round 3, Pick 13. A sturdy weekend that grades out a B.
Every deal seemed to tilt their way, which is not luck. Leaving quarterback unaddressed is the roster risk they will have to answer for in the fall. Polk at that cost is the sort of edge that compounds over a roster.
A workmanlike haul that should hold up just fine.
Pick-by-Pick
The board screamed and they did not listen, reaching into the next round for Christian Haynes. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
Mike Sainristil in the 58th overall pick is the kind of reach that only looks good if he outplays it. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
Leonard Taylor III at pick 77 is an overdraft of the loud, memorable kind. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
They talked themselves into Will Shipley at No. 88, and the board did not agree. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
Ja'Lynn Polk in slot 91 is a gift, value that borders on unfair. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
Roger Rosengarten in the 112th pick is a bet on their own eyes over everyone else's grade. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
Fair-plus on Nehemiah Pritchett, a quiet win that adds up over a draft. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
A big swing on Trevin Wallace at No. 208, well ahead of any board in the building. It thickens a room that could stand to be thicker.
A slide stopped in Round 7, Pick 3, with Zion Tupuola-Fetui worth more than the price. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.