B-
Las Vegas Raiders
The Raiders worked the phones like thieves and earned a B-.
by nick ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 8 picks
· 3 steals
· 2 reaches
If confidence were a draft strategy, the Raiders would have aced it. Diego Pavia at pick 185 is 49 spots clear of where he belonged. A sturdy weekend that grades out a B-.
The Bell value carries more weight than any single miss elsewhere. They won the margins on every swap, and it adds up fast.
With edge rusher, running back and other spots unsolved, spending premium capital on linebacker is the choice that costs them. For all the activity, edge rusher went untouched, which is hard to explain.
In sum, a sensible class that nudges the roster the right way.
Pick-by-Pick
In the Round 1 slot they get a downhill thumper at linebacker. More want than need.
The needs board was loud and they turned it down, spending pick 29 on Sonny Styles with edge rusher, running back and other spots unsolved.
Chris Johnson in the 36th overall pick lands just on the right side of the ledger. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
A wild overpay on Jude Bowry in the 102nd pick, the sort that defines a class for the wrong reasons. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
A wide receiver of that caliber at slot 117 is the definition of value, full stop. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
Value with a capital V on Will Lee III in Round 4, Pick 34, a genuine coup. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
A clean, defensible pick in the 175th overall pick with a little surplus value in Aamil Wagner. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
Diego Pavia at Round 6, Pick 4 is an overdraft of the loud, memorable kind. It patches a soft spot without any drama.