The Las Vegas Raiders made the most of their 2022 draft picks after not making a selection until Day 2 of the NFL Draft. When it was all set and done, general manager Dave Ziegler loaded up on two key positions and added a potential Day 1 starter to the offensive line. Despite being a tad early, let’s take a look at some draft grades for the Raiders’ draft choices.
What are the experts saying about the Raiders’ 2022 draft class?
ESPN’s Mel Kiper recently took a look at the group as a whole and gave it a positive review. For their efforts this past weekend, Kiper gave the Raiders a “B” grade for the crop of picks. Kiper in particular liked Dylan Parham’s selection at number 90. “I said on the broadcast that guard/center Dylan Parham could be a Pro Bowler. He started 51 games at Memphis, playing right tackle and guard. He’ll be even better inside, and the Raiders got him about 30 picks later than I projected him to go.”
After Parham, the Raiders focused heavily on the defensive line, mainly the interior despite having several defensive tackles on the roster prior to the draft. “I had a Round 4 grade on Matthew Butler (175), who will have a long NFL career, even if it’s just as a rotational defensive tackle. They added Neil Farrell Jr. (126) at D-tackle too, but at 330 pounds, he is more of a traditional nose. Thayer Munford (238) started 45 games on the O-line at Ohio State and could be a solid backup.”
Keeping it in perspective for the Raiders
Kiper’s grade is more than fair considering the circumstances. “Experts” grading the Raiders in comparison to other teams, especially those that had multiple first-round picks, is somewhat foolish and lacks perspective. Nevertheless, I have to agree with Kiper on this one after grading each pick individually myself below.
- Dylan Parham, OL, Memphis: B+
- Zamir White, RB, Georgia: B
- Neil Farrell Jr., DT, LSU: C
- Matthew Butler, DT, Tennessee: C+
- Thayer Munford Jr., OT, Ohio State: B
- Brittain Brown, RB, UCLA: C+
Who’s the best out of the group?
When you consider that he’ll have the opportunity to come in and compete for major playing time in camp, Parham is easily the best pick of the bunch. Whether he’s battling Andre James for snaps at center or for one of the guard slots, Parham will be one of the players to keep an eye on during training camp.
Zamir White is a running back prospect that has starter potential, maybe not in 2022, but at some point, after this upcoming season. If Josh Jacobs and Kenyan Drake are both healthy, the majority of the snaps will go to this duo unless something drastic happens in camp. However, we can expect White to have a bigger role once the fates of Jacobs and Drake are finalized contractually. The same goes for Brittain Brown. He’ll likely struggle to make the opening day roster, but he too is a talented running back, especially out of the backfield as a receiver.
The two biggest head scratchers, to some, were Neil Farrell and Matthew Butler’s selections. That’s understandable, but these picks are a prime example of the current regime’s philosophy of emphasizing competition. Yes, the Raiders now have multiple defensive tackles, but this is clearly a case of putting out all the talent and letting them play it out. By doing so, the linemen who want it the most will likely earn the snaps. Both Farrell and Butler offer distinctive skillsets, especially Farrell, who was an excellent run stopper in college.
It may be early, but a “B” grade for Ziegler’s first draft as Raiders general manager is more than fair. It’ll be interesting to see how all of these grades pan out once camp gets underway, but more importantly, once the 2022 season begins.
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*Top Photo: Andy Lyons/Getty Images
