F
Las Vegas Raiders
Quarterback settled, Daniels in the fold, and a F for the Raiders.
by sportelaspgmailcom ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 12 picks
· 1 steals
· 3 reaches
Every swap seemed to tilt away from the Raiders, and the value they bled adds up to real damage.
So much rides on Jayden Daniels that the rest of the class almost grades on a curve behind him. They will regret leaving edge rusher for another day if the season turns on it. The Ulofoshio pick is the one the value grade keeps tripping over.
They are betting the present roster is worth a lighter draft next spring. Thomas at that cost is the sort of edge that compounds over a roster.
In short, a weekend the front office will want to forget in a hurry.
Pick-by-Pick
In Round 1, Pick 4 they get the face of the franchise. A real need, handled.
They liked Ricky Pearsall enough to skip the value, taking him in No. 44. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
A market-rate offensive lineman, with the board and the slot shaking hands on Patrick Paul. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
A reasonable price with a little left over, Xavier Legette in the Round 3 slot. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
Trey Benson at pick 90 is neither steal nor reach, just the going rate. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
Mekhi Wingo at slot 113 is right where the board had him, plain and simple. It fills a real need, too.
Nehemiah Pritchett at pick No. 137 is a sound buy, the sort that quietly helps a class. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
No edge and no loss on Malik Mustapha in the 147th pick; it is a wash and a sensible one. A minor need, but a need all the same.
Gabe Hall in slot 210 is exactly on the number, no argument either way. A need, and now a little less of one.
A slide stopped in the 221st overall pick, with Nathan Thomas worth more than the price. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
A big swing on Jordan Magee at Round 7, Pick 5, well ahead of any board in the building. Useful body for a position without much behind the starter.
Edefuan Ulofoshio in pick 227 is a bet on their own eyes over everyone else's grade. They added to a strength when a need was still open elsewhere.