It’s a new era in Las Vegas with Pete Carroll back on the sidelines and Geno Smith under center. Sound familiar?
How will Carroll and Tom Brady, who is running things in the front office, fair in their first NFL draft together? We take a look.
Looking for all 32 teams’ draft grades? Head to our 2025 NFL Draft Grades for All 32 Teams Tracker to see how we’ve graded other drafts.
Overall Raiders Draft Grade: C
Are the Las Vegas Raiders ready to win now? If you believe the answer to that is yes, then this draft could be seen as the finishing touches on a surprise playoff team. However, as the only AFC team that went winless in division games last year, the Raiders look like a team that eschewed its vegetables in favor of desert, leaving them with some flashier pieces but a lot of holes.
Ashton Jeanty at sixth overall is fine given the lack of premier talent in this draft. While the positional value wasn’t ideal, Jeanty injects a huge playmaking boost to a run game that ranked last in yards per rush and yards after contact per rush in 2024. He might instantly be the best player on the offense, taking some pressure off of Brock Bowers and Geno Smith in the passing game.
However, the Raiders weren’t exactly a finished product on defense, and proceeded to spend just two of their seven picks from Rounds 1-4 on that side of the ball. Cornerback Darien Porter might have to play right away after the Raiders lost Nate Hobbs and Jack Jones this offseason.
As much athletic upside as the Iowa State product possesses, that’s a tall task considering he was mostly a special teams player until his sixth year in college. The other defensive add was DT Tonka Hemingway in the fourth round, an undersized interior player who likely won’t play many snaps right away.
The Raiders did need to add more pass catchers, and Jack Bech and Dont’e Thornton add diversity to a wide receiver group that mostly consisted of underneath possession receivers entering the draft. Bech’s route-running should make him an early favorite for Smith, while Thornton’s home run speed is an interesting change-up that was a fine gamble in Round 4.
However, even if Maxx Crosby and Christian Wilkins are healthier in 2025, the pass rush will need to be elite to make up for a very thin secondary on paper.
The offense should be improved, though it’s questionable if this is really an above-average unit unless some of the young offensive linemen like Jackson Powers-Johnson and D.J. Glaze prove to be plus starters.
Las Vegas is more interesting than they’ve been since trading away Derek Carr, but they remain stuck in a difficult division with enough roster holes to make a playoff run a difficult proposition.
Grades for Every Raiders Draft Pick
- Round 1, Pick 6
Ashton Jeanty, RB | Boise State
Grade: A
Drafting a running back this early would usually have detractors, but Ashton Jeanty is different. Jeanty drew comparisons to a modern-day Barry Sanders, and his production in 2024 followed suit. Jeanty’s level of competition could be scrutinized, but he has the profile to be just as impactful in the NFL, especially with a Raiders offensive line that was trending up last year.
At 5’8” and almost 220 pounds, Jeanty has an enthralling mix of contact balance, lower-body density, explosiveness, agility, flexibility, and creative IQ. On top of his running ability, he’s also a versatile and well-versed receiver, and he holds legitimate third-down value.
On one hand, the Raiders could’ve selected Armand Membou and forged an elite offensive line, but young pieces such as Jordan Meredith and DJ Glaze showed promise last year, and Jeanty’s creative ability can elevate the unit in front of him.
- Round 2, Pick 58
Jack Bech, WR | TCU
Grade: B
The offensive overhaul continues for the Raiders, who first added Ashton Jeanty in Round 1. In Round 2, they’re adding to their receiving core, pairing TCU’s Jack Bech with reliable veteran Jakobi Meyers. Bech and Meyers should comprise the primary WR duo for Geno Smith.
At 6’1”, 214 pounds, Bech’s size and play strength are obvious pluses, and he’s as sure-handed as they come at the catch point. Beyond those surface-level qualities, he’s also an incredibly quick and sudden route runner, with the agility and fluidity to underscore a full route tree and alignment versatility. He’s not the most dynamic, but he’ll be a solid pro, and Las Vegas can use more of those.
- Round 3, Pick 68
Darien Porter, CB | Iowa State
Grade: B-
The Raiders’ cornerback room was startlingly thin heading into the 2025 NFL Draft, so it makes sense that they’d address that at the top of Round 3. The player choice, however, is intriguing. With Shavon Revel on the board, the Raiders chose to take a player with less injury uncertainty in Darien Porter instead.
Porter is a freak athlete at 6’3”, 190 pounds, and a good fit for Pete Carroll’s Cover 3 zone scheme. He’s not just fast and explosive, but also unnaturally twitchy for his size. That said, he’s not as fluid or well-rounded as Revel, and his tackling and take-on form are inconsistent in support. On top of that, he’ll be a 24-year-old rookie.
Porter has potential and immediate special-teams utility, but if Revel’s medicals cleared, he should have been the pick. If not, this makes more sense.
- Round 3, Pick 98
Caleb Rogers, OT | Texas Tech
Grade: B-
The Raiders could have added to their interior defensive line here, and quality options would’ve been available. That would’ve been a better value play, but supplementing the offensive line is an equally solid move from a philosophical standpoint. Caleb Rogers is a nice, if unspectacular, addition late on Day 2.
Rogers started 55 games during his career at Texas Tech, both guard and tackle. Most of his experience came at right tackle, where he could feasibly challenge DJ Glaze for the starting job.
Either way, he provides excellent depth and positional versatility, an exceptional mix of athleticism, blocking in space, size, compact mass, and technical proficiency.
- Round 3, Pick 99
Charles Grant, OT | William & Mary
Grade: B+
One of the more intriguing Day 2 OTs, Charles Grant will need a little development time as he transitions to the NFL from FCS William & Mary. However, Grant is an extremely fluid mover for an offensive tackle and could be a particularly excellent blocker on zone runs.
In the short term, the Raiders seem set at tackle with Kolton Miller and D.J. Glaze. However, Glaze is unproven as a second-year pro, while Miller enters the final year of his contract. Therefore, after a redshirt year, the nimble Grant could theoretically be ready to plug into the Raiders’ starting lineup.
- Round 4, Pick 108
Dont’e Thornton Jr., WR, Tennessee
Grade: B
The Raiders are putting some talented weapons around new quarterback Geno Smith. After bolstering their running game with Ashton Jeanty in Round 1, they added a sure-handed wide receiver in Jack Bech. Now, Las Vegas adds another highly athletic receiver in Thornton.
Thornton possesses a rare combination of size, length, and speed. His burners make him a legitimate downfield threat and home-run hitter. The biggest knock on him is his limited route tree. However, the Raiders entered the draft needing more playmakers alongside Brock Bowers and Jakobi Meyers, and that’s what they are getting in Thornton.
- Round 4, Pick 135
Tonka Hemingway, DT, South Carolina
Grade: C+
After addressing their offense early and often, the Raiders turn their attention to the defensive side of the ball. Las Vegas is relatively strong on the defensive line, led by Maxx Crosby, Christian Wilkins, and Malcolm Koonce, but their depth is severely depleted.
Tonka Hemingway is a strong athlete who has a basketball background and used to be an edge rusher. He has an explosive first step and showed that he has the versatility to play multiple positions on the defensive front.
However, he lacks elite size and power, which could limit his versatility at the next level. Still, his athletic traits are enticing for a defense that needs more disruptive playmakers.
- Round 6, Pick 180
J.J. Pegues, DT | Ole Miss
Grade: B+ - Round 6, Pick 213
Tommy Mellott, WR | Montana State
Grade: C- - Round 6, Pick 215
Cam Miller, QB | North Dakota State
Grade: B - Round 7, Pick 222
Cody Lindenberg, LB | Minnesota
Grade: A-