C
Las Vegas Raiders
The Raiders bled value on every deal, hence the C.
by Fins1981 ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 16 picks
· 4 steals
· 6 reaches
When the story of this class is written, it opens with Logan Taylor at pick No. 219, a reach of 39 spots that the board flatly disagrees with.
They lost the exchange badly enough to drag the whole class down. The edge rusher spot stays a question, and it was the one they most needed an answer at. They banked enough surplus on Lane to cover a lot of smaller sins.
The future picks help the war chest more than the win-now roster.
The verdict is a shrug for now, with the swing picks left to write the real ending.
Pick-by-Pick
No edge and no loss on Emmanuel Pregnon in pick 36; it is a wash and a sensible one. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
They paid up for Max Iheanachor at the Round 2 slot when waiting would have done the job. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
Jake Slaughter at slot 59 nudges the ledger their way without any fuss. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
Value with a capital V on Eli Stowers in No. 63, a genuine coup. It fills a real need, too.
Ted Hurst in Round 3, Pick 13 is early enough to raise a brow, if not a full objection. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
Sam Roush is a better player than the 102nd overall pick suggests; smart patience, rewarded. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
Taking Ja'Kobi Lane in No. 116 is close to grand larceny; a wide receiver that good had no business lasting this long. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
Eli Raridon in pick 134 is fair value, right on his grade. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
They paid sticker price for Dametrious Crownover in Round 5, Pick 1, and that is fine. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
They read the board right and Drew Allar was the payoff at slot 167. A need, and now a little less of one.
A reach on Taylen Green in the 175th overall pick; the board had better options right there. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
Jeff Caldwell at pick No. 185 is right where the board had him, plain and simple. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
A big swing on Isaiah Jatta at the Round 6 slot, well ahead of any board in the building. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
Logan Taylor at the 219th pick is a steep price for a hunch, hard to square with any board. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
A market-rate offensive lineman, with the board and the slot shaking hands on Nolan Rucci. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
Joshua Braun at the 257th overall pick is the kind of overdraft that needs everything to break right. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.