Draft Night Thread
I don't really like Tom Brady, and I regret that a Patriot / TV Announcer has become a part owner of the Raiders. It feels corporate and establishmentarian--two things that the Raiders were born to resist under Al Davis.
Brady also comes across to me as a bit of an attention whore and try-hard. Why would someone in his position otherwise acquiesce to that disgraceful Tom Brady Roast last year?
All that said, I think Tom Brady is a champion, a winner and a competitor, and he is very smart. These things sort of offset my misgivings about him, because if it's one thing that the Raiders have been lacking under Mark Davis, it's smarts.
We can't ignore the Tom Brady effect now, because Mark Davis won't let us: "Bringing in Tom Brady was bringing in somebody on the football side that I had been lacking having here in the organization."
So that brings us to tonight's draft. Of course, Spytek and Carroll will be running the show and they are no slouches--but Brady is no doubt lurking in the background, serving perhaps as a 'kill switch' if Davis starts running with scissors and ordering people to draft Shadeur if he falls to the sixth slot.
Anyhow, those are my thoughts today. Once again I apologize for going dark for a period, this team hasn't done enough to counter the apathy that has crept up on me as we've flailed around under McDaniels and Pierce for the past three years. Thanks, Mark.
But I'm now excited about what comes next. We finally have a head coach who's a grownup, the best QB since Carr and, yes, a smart and proven winner whispering in the owner's ear.
Who would you draft? What do we need to focus on? Bang it here.
posted by Raider Take at 9:36 AM
19 Comments:
Great way to start the 2025 Draft, RT. Nice take!
IMO, the jury is still out on Brady. His strength is perceived as someone who can identify QB talent, not just throwing the ball but the intelligence and perseverance needed to be a winner. It's likely the Raiders will draft a QB this weekend, and Brady will be (or should be) at the forefront of that decision-making. Hit or miss, IMO, that pick will be on Brady.
To borrow your words, Mark Davis has been running with scissors and mismanaging his ownership of the Raiders for his entire tenure. I could make the list, but the proof is in his results.
Tonight, perhaps we get to see how it's really supposed to work. Yet, as you perhaps suggested, there may be too many cooks in the kitchen.
As for Skytek, surprisingly, he has some pretty big shoes to fill after Telesco performed his magic in a one-and-done draft last year. Telesco truly drafted the best available player, and it paid off.
Things are about to heat up!
RT, thanks for checking in!
Always appreciate your takes and fidelity here NY Raider! Grab your popcorn!
Bob pirate,
Nice blog Raider Take! Go Raidernation!!! Let's be positive and try to have big hopes for the 1st round pick! But I don't see the bold attitude the Raiders had in the draft! I want them to succeed but getting a T this high isn't a good move!
JEANTY!!!!!
Jeanty was best available player, just like Bowers last year. The guy is a TD machine. With Hunter, Carter and Graham off the board, Jeanty makes sense.
Now they need a stud WR!
Interesting that Sanders was there for the taking. Had the Raiders not signed Smith, Sanders would have been the Raiders QB next season.
If Sanders falls too far, do the Raiders trade up to get him?
Bob Pirate
Good pick ! but the Brady issue? I think we should give him some off time to let the old guys who know the draft lead the show. RB is good but not the Bo, LT or Barkley guys to dominate defenses but we needed more playmakers Brady needs or might be good as a QB scout.
This is the Raiders best pick since Khalil Mack! Ihave a feeling this is going to be a better draft than the 2014 draft
Raiders have a dilemma. With Sanders still on the board, they may have a tough choice to make.
On one hand, if they planned on drafting a QB in the 2nd round, Sanders is likely the guy, and they might even trade up to get him.
On the other hand, will they be able to pass on Sanders to take a WR or CB, which are more urgent needs.
The browns could make it all moot. They have two picks before the Raiders in the 2nd round. They could draft Sanders or trade a pick to another team who will. The Browns just made three QB moves, including re-signing Watson.
I'm probably in the camp that, if Sanders is there, take him. But getting a stud WR would have more impact on the 2025 Raiders.
Jeanty was a TD machine last year. That probably changes in the NFL, but his film shows he has tremendous balance and often runs by tacklers. But the NFL is bigger, faster and stronger. Still, we shouldn't have any doubt that the Raiders just upgraded the RB position in a big way.
With Bowers and Jeanty, the Raiders are sure rebuilding from the outside in, we need the core of the roster to catch up so that we don't waste their early career production. Bowers was insane, the Raiders were 4-13.
I think Shavon Revel or Aireonte Ersery (RT, Minnesota) are the best players in the 2nd Round. I'd be happy trading down, picking up more picks, and selecting one of these 2 players. I would also be happy with Sanders, don't get me wrong. At this point, I'm looking at need, and biggest impact. If we draft Sanders, I don't think he starts for a few years.
I think the Steelers trade up in the 2nd for Sanders. I think we go Defense or O-Line in the second. QB in the 3rd with Shough, and then O-Line/D-Line rest of the way. We need a RT and some guards and depth.
I still think one of the biggest steals in the Draft on O-Line is going to be USC's Jonah Monheim. Dude played every position on the O-Line, and can play all 3 interior positions (C, RG, LG). I think he would be an amazing pick to add depth, and eventually become a starter. I compare him to Feliciano.
I was surprised by how many DT and EDGE players went off the board last night. I felt a lot of those guys were reaches for the first round. James Pearce Jr? Shemar Stewart? Both at EDGE. Kenneth Grant (DT)? Walter Nolen (DT)? Then you had the Doncos drafting Jahdae Barron (CB/U Texas)? Wow, did they completely whiff on their pick.
The dumbest post/reaction I've seen about draft grades is from Underdog NFL on Twitter. He graded the Raiders a C- for selecting Jeanty.
I am going to give my grades on the first round from last night. The first time I've ever done this:
Titans - Cam Ward. Obvious A. This totally surprised me. I said earlier that Brian Callahan (the Head Coach) loves the traditional QB, and I thought they were going to grab one like Will Howard or Tyler Shough in later rounds. This is a great pick.
Jags - Travis Hunter. A. Again, great pick, especially if they let him play both sides.
Giants - Abdul Carter. A. Giants went with best available, and Carter adds to their tremendous defense.
Patriots - Will Campbell. B. Pats went for highest need here. They have someone to help protect Maye, but they need more.
Browns - Mason Graham. B Solid DT, and will help with the pass rush in Cleveland. Didn't think he was the best pick here. I really thought they were going to pick Jeanty.
RAAAAIIIIIIIDEEEEEERS! - Ashton Jeanty. A. This is a great pick, and I am glad he fell to us. I was hoping for him or Hunter to fall. Like I said earlier, this is the best pick since Khalil Mack; and I think with he and Bowers; we have 2 weapons comparable to Tomlinson and Gates, Marcus Allen and Todd Christensen, Jim Brown and Bobby Mitchell, Maurice Drew-Jones and Fred Taylor.
Jets - Armand Membou. B. I was worried the Raiders might select him. Not a bad pick, but not a great pick either.
Panthers - Tet McMillan. B. I think he is overhyped at WR.
Saints - Kelvin Banks, Jr. B. Again, not a bad pick and it helps the Saints depleting O-Line; but not a great pick either.
Bears - Colston Loveland. D. This was not even a good pick, it was subpar.
49ers - Mykel Williams. B. Thought Jalon Walker would have been the better pick here.
Cowboys - Tyler Booker. D With Tyler Warren, Jalon Walker, Grey Zabel, some WRs and CBs still on the board, this was the second worst pick of the draft.
Dolphins - Kenneth Grant. A. Some had Grant over Mason Graham, extreme value pick here.
Colts - Tyler Warren. A. Again, he should have been taken when the Bears picked.
Falcons - Jalon Walker. A. Good pick for a team that really need to boost their trenches, and this is a great start for them.
Cardinals - Walter Nolen. C. Has some good upside, but there are a ton of questions about his work ethic.
Bengals - Shemur Stewart. C. I thought they could have bolstered their O-Line here with Grey Zabel, Josh Connerly, or Josh Simmons. They whiffed.
Seahawks - Grey Zabel. A. Great pick for this position. Thought he would have been gone earlier.
Bucs - Emeka Egbuka. C. Wow, they are loaded at WR and yet they chose another WR. Defense was a greater need, especially at LB.
Doncos - Jahdae Barron. F. This is the worst draft pick. Barron had a 3rd Round Grade because of his size even though he won the Jim Thorpe Award and was a Finalist for the Bronco Nagurski Award (nation's top defender).
Steelers - Derrick Hampton. B. They are getting hammered for not selecting Sanders here; but Hampton is a solid pick.
Chargers - Omarion Hampton. A. This is a really good pick for the Chargers.
Packers - Matthew Golden. A. Good pick fills a need for Jordan Love.
Vikings - Donovan Jackson. B. Ok pick here, not much to say about it.
Giants - Jaxson Dart. C. I think Dart is overrated. I'm surprised they traded back into the first round to select him.
Falcons - James Pearce Jr. C. I'm surprised they traded back into the first round here for him. Not a first round talent.
Ravens - Malaki Starks. A This was a great pick for the Ravens, I was hoping he would fall to the second round, and the Raiders take him.
Lions - Tyleik Williams. D. Again, a subpar reach at DT here.
Redskins - Josh Connerly. A. Good pick, thought he'd been picked earlier.
Bills - Maxwell Hairston. B. Not a large CB, especially with Will Johnson, Shavon Revel, and Troy Amos on the board. Yes, he's talented, but was projected late 2nd early 3rd.
Eagles - Jihaad Campbell. A. Scary pick here. Eagles have a talented Defense, and it just got better.
Chiefs - Josh Simmons. A. Great need pick up
Epic post!
I don't want to point a finger at the roster, core or other, when the coaching was so bad last year. Luke Getsy was an epic fail by Antonio Pierce, which easily cost Pierce his job (not that Pierce needed help). Getsy was terrible in Chicago, and Pierce thought he'd do better with the Raiders? One of the worst coaching hires in the Raiders history... and that's saying a lot.
Also, allowing Josh Jacobs to walk was a huge mistake. Jacobs was affordable to the Raiders, but they misjudged White as Jacobs' replacement in another epic fail.
Raiders eventually sat James and shuffled the line around a little, and things got better. IMO, the Raiders have a O-line core with perhaps a little more help.
Also, we were without Wilkins all season, and we lost Bennett and others to injuries as well.
RB was a big need, and the Raiders found one in a big way. If they stay the course and draft best available in Rd 2, assuming that's either a WR or CB, this draft can really make sense.
But Sanders is a distraction. If they draft him, they better be right!
With Sanders still on the board, the Raiders traded back!
Wow! So they don't want Sanders, but why not take a WR/CB now?!
Traded back again. Stockpiling picks. Hope they are smart enough to use them wisely.
I wasn't a Sanders in the first round guy for sure, but maybe they should've taken a flyer on him deep in the third?
Bob Pirate
Hey! Since when did they dominate at DB that they can keep trading down and missing on highly rated DBs?
Bob Pirate
They need two starting corners and we need a DT! Carroll's is at the card table trading sports star cards, property, contracts and money trying to come out with big profits over the competition later in the game but he's missing on possible big wins of gold and gems for later w ins
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