In three days, the 2024 NFL Draft starts the clock on new eras for the Raiders while prolonging relevance for others.
When Roger Goodell steps to the stage, the NFL kicks off the start to the 2024 season. With raised hopes and expectations, the Las Vegas Raiders hope to take the next step in their evolution under Antonio Pierce. After finishing strong in 2024, Mark Davis gave the keys to the kingdom to Pierce. With Tom Telesco firmly entrenched as the general manager, Las Vegas looks to mount a sustainable playoff threat.
Trade
With the glaring need for serious talent upgrades, Telesco rolls the dice and surrenders draft capital for cornerstone players. As a result, the Raiders send the forty-fourth pick and their 2025 first-rounder to Philadelphia. In return, the Eagles sent back the twenty-second overall selection. Under those circumstances, the Raiders gain a first-round pick, and the front office begins to work some magic.
13th Overall (Michael Penix, Jr, QB, Washington)
Las Vegas gets their franchise quarterback. Penix combines superior arm talent with a mental toughness to fight through amy adversity. Ay Washington, he developed and refined his approach with his passing. He became a passer, instead of a passer. Now, you get to see a quarterback that remains unafraid to challenge defenses.
22nd Overall (Terrion Arnold, CB, Alabama)
Lost in the late-season 2023 success was the last of multiple playmakers at cornerback. Jack Jones lit the fuse on a long-dormant unit that were equally parts brash and ballhawks. Now, pairing him with Arnold on the other side, gives the Raiders two starters that will attempt to lock down opponents without help over the top.
77th Overall (Roger Rosengarten, OL, Washington)
If you look up nasty disposition in the dictionary, Penix’s former UW teammate will see his portrait. With a long reach, Rosengarten can keep clean, steering defenders aside. More importantly, he possesses the power to kick inside and the footwork to pull. The Raiders lacked any semblance of controlled nastiness upfront. That will need to change.
112th Overall (Jaylen Wright, RB, Tennessee)
If the team decides that Zamir White will start and Alexander Mattison will see snap as a backup, where’s the explosive ballcarrier? Wright is a threat to rip off large swaths of chunk yardage immediately. Moreover, he will beat opponents to the corner, keeping them at least one step behind and in his rearview mirror. Vegas wants to pound the ball. Meanwhile, a big play threat in that backfield would go a long way to salting away games.
148th Overall (Isaiah Adams, OL, Illinois)
Coupled with Rosengarten, the Raiders could see not only an attitude shift, but a talent upgrade. For a guard that loves the power game, Adams uses deceptive smooth feet to remain in position, keeping the opponent in front of him. In a run-heavy offense, physical linemen are a necessity.
208th Overall (Lideatrick Griffin, WR, Mississippi State)
In flashes of the old days, the Raiders threw the ball vertically with success. Granted, that will not signify a full return. Griffin helps the Raiders in a few ways. First, as a returner, he demonstrates a knack for the big play, returning two kickoffs during his time in Starkville. More importantly, in spread situations you will see a fourth corner lined up against him. Griffin can win that matchup over the top.
223rd Overall (Trey Taylor, S, Air Force)
From the moment you press play, Taylor’s instinctual feel for spatial awareness hits. While he will not be confused with an elite athlete, the Air Force grad wills himself into proper position, rarely looking lost or out of place. At the next level, the Raiders could use him as a special teamer with the mindset and leadership traits to become a captain.
229th Overall (Jamal Hill, LB, Oregon)
Fast and fluid. The Raiders need players at this part of the draft to develop as the back end of some of their positional rotations look paper-thin. In Hill, Vegas will probably start him on specials before seeing if he can cut the muster in a rotation. Before that, the film illustrates a prime candidate for subpackage coverage work with the ability to cover backs, receivers and tight ends.
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