It’s officially mock draft season–for the rest of the National Football League, too. With Super Bowl LIX now concluded, teams are turning their attention to the offseason, getting ready for the NFL Combine at the end of February. For Pete Carroll and the Las Vegas Raiders, the draft presents a chance to fix the many holes on Sin City’s roster, helping the team achieve immediate success as Carroll is gunning for.
The process of the draft – more specifically, which players a team is targeting in the draft – is fluid and ever-changing. This is especially true in February, before free agency rolls around and front offices gauge their final roster heading into the big event.
And just as the Raiders’ draft board will change as the summer progresses, this mock will as well.
In the meanwhile, this first installment of a three-round mock gives Pete Carroll and the Las Vegas Raiders exactly what they need moving forward.
Monfreda Mock 1.0: 3-round Las Vegas Raiders mock draft
1.6: Will Johnson – Michigan ties run deep
John Spytek was a big reason why Tom Brady chose to play for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after leaving the New England Patriots. Then, Brady became a big reason why Spytek took the general manager job in Las Vegas. Their connection started as college teammates at the University of Michigan; the same school Will Johnson attends.
The Michigan connection with Johnson is a cool little detail, but it isn’t at all why the Raiders choose to go Johnson here. Instead, it’s due to Johnson being the best cornerback prospect in the 2025 NFL Draft. At the very least, the best cornerback prospect without a Heisman.
Las Vegas’ need for a cornerback is quite clear. Even if you believe Jack Jones to be a viable long-time solution opposite of Jakorian Bennett, there’s no depth whatsoever on Sin City’s roster.
Add in the fact that Nate Hobbs is a free agent, and the Raiders’ need for a cornerback is quite evident.
But why Johnson?
When we talk about Will Johnson, we’re talking about a lengthy, shut-down corner who’s adept at creating turnovers. The 6-foot-2 corner has accumulated nine interceptions over three seasons, allowing less than 18 receptions during both his ’23 and ’24 campaigns.
Although Johnson appeared in only six contests this past season, he took the field for 12 in 2023. During this time, the Michigan corner held opposing quarterbacks to a passer rating of 30.9.
Why not a quarterback here?
Well, there’s no guarantee that one will be available, for starters. Secondly, even if one was available, the Raiders are trying to win immediately, per Pete Carroll. That means filling up holes as quickly as possible.
And while the quarterback is certainly a notable hole for the Raiders, the team will almost certainly welcome a veteran this offseason.
Besides..
2.5: Jaxson Dart – Preparing for life after a veteran quarterback
While chances are sky-high that the Raiders will add a veteran signal caller this summer to aid their quest of immediately piling up wins, that doesn’t mean they can’t simultaneously prepare for the next chapter.
They don’t have to use a first-rounder doing so, either; not when there’s plenty of viable veteran options such as Sam Darnold and Matt Stafford, in addition to the top of this year’s quarterback class being considered quite weak.
The numbers and analytics for Dart’s ’24 campaign are impressive: 29 passing touchdowns to six interceptions, 122.3 passer rating and a 77.7% adjusted completion percentage. With a ‘big time throw’ percentage of 7.1%, only five signal callers across the country posted a better mark in this area.
For those into grades via Pro Football Focus, no quarterback in the NCAA who attempted at least 40 passes in 2024 earned a higher passing grade (92.3) than Dart.
For the most part, Raider Nation shouldn’t be expecting a Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson caliber quarterback. That’s just unrealistic regardless of who the quarterback is, let alone a second-round draft selection. Still, Dart is a high-floor prospect who throws a good ball, regardless of if he’s throwing towards the middle of the field or outside of the numbers.
This is a pro-ready player; not one with enormous ‘upside’ who still has to put it all together, such as Jalen Milroe or Quinn Ewers.
As is, it’s entirely possible Dart is off the board by the time the Raiders are on the clock here. Be that as it may, it’s plenty realistic for the Ole Miss signal caller to still be available, and even more realistic for Las Vegas to take advantage of that.
3.4: TreVeyon Henderson – One of Chip Kelly’s backs lands in Sin City
Pete Carroll wants to run the football; he’s made that much clear. The problem is, the Raiders don’t exactly have a running back on the roster who they can count on to consistently give them a presence on the ground.
Fortunately, this year’s draft is loaded with talent at the running back position. More than that, two are fresh off of a National Championship under Chip Kelly’s play calling, who’s now the offensive coordinator in Sin City.
In this mock specifically, both TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins were available. However, it feels likely one of the two will be off of the board at this point in the draft, with my money being on Judkins. That said, Las Vegas wouldn’t go wrong selecting whichever is available, assuming at least one is.
Back to Henderson.
The numbers during the 22-year-old’s ’24 campaign are truly impressive. On only 119 carries, Henderson was able to put together an 825-yard, eight-touchdown season. 21 of his 119 rushing attempts went for at least 15 yards, totaling 643 yards after initial contact.
With a 5-foot-10, 208-pound build, Henderson is the ideal build for a back in the National Football League. His film shows exactly why, too.
Again, if you’re into Pro Football Focus’ grades, Henderson is at the top. With a running grade of 89.6, besting his running-mate’s grade of 85.2, only 11 runners across the country earned a higher mark than Judkins’ counterpart.
Thanks to this selection, Carroll’s squad should be able to establish an identity on the ground, making Kelly’s job as offensive play caller much easier.
3.9: Isaiah Bond – Big play ability for the Las Vegas Raiders
In theory, the Raiders have secured a franchise cornerback, quarterback of the future, and premier running back at this point. Now, the NFL’s 29th-ranked team via points scored last season gets themselves some receiver help.
At 20 years of age, Bond is a bit of a ‘project’; not because he’s young, but because he truly is a raw talent through-and-through.
Bond is a versatile, shifty, elusive player with no shortage of speed.
To give an idea of how fast Bond is, his teammate, Xavier Worthy, ran a 4.21 at the NFL Combine last year. As per ESPN’s Matt Miller, a league scout texted him, “I think [Bond] may be faster than Xavier Worthy.” That’s how fast the 20-year-old receiver is.
It’s not all great, however. After all, we are talking about a player with otherworldly speed being selected in the third round.
Bond has a ways to go with extending his body to expand his catch radius. He’s also not a player who’s going to go up and bring down many jump balls. In short, he’s not an every-down target; he’s a guy you design home-run type plays for every now and again. Similar to Jameson Williams of the Detroit Lions and his ex-teammate Worthy in that regard.
Despite Bond’s inability to be an every-down target, he is exactly what the Raiders are in serious need of. Sure-handed Jakobi Meyers and first-team All-Pro tight end Brock Bowers serve as the safety nets, but the team currently lacks players with home run ability. Enter, Isaiah Bond, who instantly fixes that problem, giving Las Vegas a big-play presence they currently lack.
In the meantime, Bond will continue working on his game to become more well-rounded in a receiver room that could use all the help it can get.
*Top Photo: Getty Images