Every so often the board makes a mistake, and the Raiders were there to profit. Wyatt Milum, the No. 35 name on the board, should have been long gone before the 224th overall pick.
The edge rusher spot stays a question, and it was the one they most needed an answer at. Adding Darius Slayton by trade rounds out the weekend beyond the rookies. The future picks help the war chest more than the win-now roster.
Job largely done: cornerback settled and 6 of 8 of the wish list covered.
Add it up and few war rooms did better this weekend, Ashton Jeanty and all.
Pick-by-Pick
R2.2
· Pick 34
· Ashton Jeanty
· RB
· rank 2
A running back of that caliber at the 34th pick is the definition of value, full stop. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
R2.5
· Pick 37
· Travis Hunter
· CB
· rank 1
They will replay Travis Hunter at Round 2, Pick 5 for years; that is how good the value is. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
R3.1
· Pick 65
· Jaxson Dart
· QB
· rank 58
Jaxson Dart at the 65th overall pick nudges the ledger their way without any fuss. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
R3.9
· Pick 73
· Tre Harris
· WR
· rank 48
Tre Harris in pick No. 73 should not have been possible, and that is the whole point. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
R4.6
· Pick 107
· Cam Skattebo
· RB
· rank 105
No drama and no debate, Cam Skattebo went about where he belonged in slot 107. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
R5.5
· Pick 144
· Walter Nolen
· DT
· rank 17
The board fumbled Walter Nolen all the way to the Round 5 slot, and they scooped it up. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
R5.19
· Pick 158
· Jeffrey Bassa
· LB
· rank 132
Taking Jeffrey Bassa in pick 158 is close to grand larceny; a linebacker that good had no business lasting this long. A minor need, but a need all the same.
R6.4
· Pick 182
· T.J. Sanders
· DT
· rank 42
T.J. Sanders in No. 182 is a gift, value that borders on unfair. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
R6.36
· Pick 214
· Alfred Collins
· DT
· rank 56
Circle this one: Alfred Collins at No. 214 is a fall that decides a draft. It fills a real need, too.
R6.40
· Pick 218
· Will Howard
· QB
· rank 108
Will Howard at the Round 6 slot is a first-round grade at a bargain-bin price, no notes. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
R7.6
· Pick 224
· Wyatt Milum
· OT
· rank 35
Wyatt Milum at pick 224 is the steal of the weekend, a first-round talent at a bargain-bin price. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
R7.19
· Pick 237
· Dylan Fairchild
· OG
· rank 94
A top-tier offensive lineman at a bargain, Dylan Fairchild in slot 237, plain and simple. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.