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Grumzy DRAFTING FOR THERaiders
Draft Selections
Draft Picks Received
Draft Picks Traded
Draft Grade — Raiders
Overall
B-
ValueB-
NeedB
TradesC
FutureB
The Raiders answered their biggest question with Mendoza. Grade: B-. After circling the position for what felt like forever, the Raiders committed. Fernando Mendoza is the quarterback now, and the roster gets built to his timeline. More right than wrong, and a B- to match.
They will answer for taking safety early while edge rusher went begging. They covered a lot of ground and still skipped edge rusher, which is a strange place to end up.
The cost of the Nowakowski reach is exactly the players who went right after him.
Bottom line, more hits than misses and a roster nudged the right way.
Pick Analysis
Pick1
Rnd1
Fernando Mendoza
In No. 1 they get a franchise quarterback. A real need, handled.
Pick62
Rnd2
A.J. Haulcy
A slide stopped in pick No. 62, with A.J. Haulcy worth more than the price. Not urgent, but hardly pointless.
Pick67
Rnd3
Zachariah Branch
A straight-up fair deal on Zachariah Branch at pick 67, value and slot in agreement. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
Pick102
Rnd4
Bud Clark
They bypassed pressing needs at edge rusher to take Bud Clark, a safety that was not the priority.
Pick108
Rnd4
Jalen Farmer
No drama and no debate, Jalen Farmer went about where he belonged in Round 4, Pick 8. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
Pick117
Rnd4
Gracen Halton
A premium they did not need to pay, Gracen Halton a notch or two before his time. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
Pick134
Rnd4
Will Lee III
The board had Will Lee III higher than the 134th overall pick, and the cornerback fell to them anyway. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
Pick170
Rnd5
Caleb Douglas
Caleb Douglas in the 170th pick lands just on the right side of the ledger. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
Pick175
Rnd5
Travis Burke
Travis Burke in slot 175 is fair value, right on his grade. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
Pick185
Rnd6
Taylen Green
A conviction pick on Taylen Green at the 185th overall pick that the board grades a round light. The roster fit checks out.
Pick208
Rnd6
Riley Nowakowski
They liked Riley Nowakowski enough to skip the value, taking him in the Round 6 slot. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
Pick219
Rnd7
Kaelon Black
They went early on Kaelon Black in Round 7, Pick 3, and the value did not follow. A need, and now a little less of one.














