Grumzy'S MOCK DRAFT
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  • Grumzy DRAFTING FOR THE
    Raiders
Draft Selections
Fernando Mendoza Head Shot
PICK: 1 RND: 1 (LV)
Fernando Mendoza
QB Indiana
Dillon Thieneman Head Shot
PICK: 36 RND: 2 (LV)
Dillon Thieneman
S Oregon
Emmanuel McNeil-Warren Head Shot
PICK: 67 RND: 3 (LV)
Emmanuel McNeil-Warren
S Toledo
Zachariah Branch Head Shot
PICK: 102 RND: 4 (LV)
Zachariah Branch
WR Georgia
Jalon Kilgore Head Shot
PICK: 117 RND: 4 (LV)
Jalon Kilgore
CB South Carolina
Chris McClellan Head Shot
PICK: 134 RND: 4 (LV)
Chris McClellan
DT Missouri
Riley Nowakowski Head Shot
PICK: 175 RND: 5 (LV)
Riley Nowakowski
TE Indiana
VJ Payne Head Shot
PICK: 185 RND: 6 (LV)
VJ Payne
S Kansas State
Kaelon Black Head Shot
PICK: 208 RND: 6 (LV)
Kaelon Black
RB Indiana
Eli Heidenreich Head Shot
PICK: 219 RND: 7 (LV)
Eli Heidenreich
WR Navy
Draft Grade — Raiders
Overall B-
ValueB- NeedB TradesB- FutureB-
The Raiders finally solved quarterback, and it carried them to a B-.

The one hole that towered over the rest is filled. The Raiders spent their marquee pick on Fernando Mendoza, and for the first time in a while there is a real answer at quarterback. The bottom line is a respectable B-.

Getting Branch where they did is the sort of value that quietly makes a class. The Nowakowski pick is the one the value grade keeps tripping over.

They will answer for taking safety early while edge rusher and offensive lineman went begging. That edge rusher hole did not close this weekend, and it was the biggest one on the wall.

In sum, a sturdy weekend with one asterisk, the edge rusher spot they never got to.

Pick Analysis
Pick1 Rnd1 Fernando Mendoza
In slot 1 they get the face of the franchise at fair value.
Pick36 Rnd2 Dillon Thieneman
A straight-up fair deal on Dillon Thieneman at pick 36, value and slot in agreement. Not urgent, but hardly pointless.
Pick67 Rnd3 Emmanuel McNeil-Warren
A surprising call. With edge rusher and offensive lineman still to address, they spent the 67th pick on Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, a safety they were not short of.
Pick102 Rnd4 Zachariah Branch
Zachariah Branch in the Round 4 slot should not have been possible, and that is the whole point. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
Pick117 Rnd4 Jalon Kilgore
Value with a capital V on Jalon Kilgore in No. 117, a genuine coup. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
Pick134 Rnd4 Chris McClellan
A premium they did not need to pay, Chris McClellan a notch or two before his time. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
Pick175 Rnd5 Riley Nowakowski
Riley Nowakowski in pick No. 175 is a bet on their own eyes over everyone else's grade. The roster fit checks out.
Pick185 Rnd6 VJ Payne
A reach for VJ Payne in Round 6, Pick 4; a little patience would have been rewarded. A want dressed up as a pick, at a spot they had covered.
Pick208 Rnd6 Kaelon Black
Kaelon Black in pick No. 208 is the kind of reach that only looks good if he outplays it. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
Pick219 Rnd7 Eli Heidenreich
Eli Heidenreich at Round 7, Pick 3 is the kind of overdraft that needs everything to break right. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.