B-
Las Vegas Raiders
The Raiders drew a line under the quarterback search with Penix Jr.: B-.
by sportelaspgmailcom ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 9 picks
· 1 steals
· 1 reaches
The one hole that towered over the rest is filled. The Raiders spent their marquee pick on Michael Penix Jr., and for the first time in a while there is a real answer at quarterback.
They are betting Eboigbe proves the room right and everyone else wrong. The Mustapha steal is the beam this whole class leans on. A whole weekend of picks and tight end is somehow still a want.
Good work on the whole, with tight end the one box left unchecked.
Pick-by-Pick
In pick No. 9 they get a long-term answer under center. A real need, handled.
Byron Murphy II in No. 64 is fair value, right on his grade. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
Brenden Rice in the 77th pick is exactly on the number, no argument either way. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
A straight-up fair deal on Max Melton at pick 112, value and slot in agreement. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
Justin Eboigbe at Round 5, Pick 14 is an overdraft of the loud, memorable kind. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
They stopped a slide they were happy to see, landing Malik Mustapha in the Round 5 slot. Depth more than a fix, but depth they can use.
Jase McClellan at slot 190 is neither steal nor reach, just the going rate. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
By-the-book stuff, Maurice Smith at the 234th overall pick squarely in line with his ranking. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
They paid sticker price for Walter Rouse in pick No. 253, and that is fine. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.