With the NFL draft finally here, the evaluation process is now complete. Now it’s a matter of sorting out who the top players are. A lot goes into putting together a big board. It involves evaluating players and considering their positional value. When tailored for a specific team, the team’s needs and how well players fit into the system are also considered. For this big board, I took my own big board and moved players around based on the Las Vegas Raiders‘ needs and fit. So, if I were to somehow obtain a John Spytek skin suit and infiltrate the Las Vegas war room, this is what the board would look like.
We’ll start with the top of the class…
The Top 10
| NAME | SCHOOL | POS (rk) | GRADE |
| 1. Travis Hunter | Colorado | CB/WR(2/4) | Top 3 |
| 2. Shedeur Sanders | Colorado | QB(1) | Top 10 |
| 3. Cam Ward | Miami | QB(2) | 1st Rd |
| 4. Will Johnson | Michigan | CB(1) | Top 5 |
| 5. Abdul Carter | PSU | EDGE(1) | Top 10 |
| 6. Ashton Jeanty | Boise State | RB(1) | 1st Rd |
| 7. Jahdae Barron | Texas | CB(3) | 1st Rd |
| 8. Will Campbell | LSU | OL(1) | Top 10 |
| 9. Malaki Starks | Georgia | S(1) | 1st Rd |
| 10. Tet McMillan | Arizona | WR(1) | 1st Rd |
Thoughts
It should come as a surprise to nobody that the top three are Travis Hunter, Shedeur Sanders, and Cam Ward. If any of them fall to the sixth pick, the Raiders have to pounce. Some may disagree with Will Johnson being above Ashton Jeanty and Abdul Carter here. However, Johnson’s tape is impeccable; he plays a high-value position that the Raiders have a need at, and he is a perfect scheme fit for Patrick Graham’s defense.
After Jeanty, Jahdae Barron comes in at seven, as he would be an ideal replacement for Nate Hobbs if the Raiders moved back. Thereafter, we get into “best player available” territory with the best lineman, safety, and wide receiver in this class.
There are some notable admissions from this group, which we will get into with our next group…
Numbers 11-25
| NAME | SCHOOL | POS (rk) | GRADE |
| 11. Tyler Warren | PSU | TE(1) | Top 10 |
| 12. Mykel Williams | Georgia | EDGE(2) | 1st Rd |
| 13. Jalon Walker | Georgia | EDGE(3) | 1st Rd |
| 14. James Pearce Jr. | Tennessee | EDGE(4) | 1st Rd |
| 15. Emeka Egbuka | Ohio State | WR(2) | 1st Rd |
| 16. Jihaad Campbell | Alabama | LB(1) | 1st Rd |
| 17. Benjamin Morrison | Notre Dame | CB(3) | 1st Rd |
| 18. Luther Burden | Mizzou | WR(3) | Late 1st Rd |
| 19. Mason Graham | Michigan | DT(1) | 1st Rd |
| 20. Aireontae Ersery | Minnesota | OT(2) | 1st Rd |
| 21 Derrick Harmon | Oregon | DT(2) | 1st Rd |
| 22. Nic Scourton | Texas A&M | EDGE(5) | 1st Rd |
| 23. Matthew Golden | Texas | WR(5) | Late 1st Rd |
| 24. Elic Ayomanor | Stanford | WR(6) | Late 1st Rd |
| 25. Kelvin Banks | Texas | OT(3) | 1st Rd |
Thoughts
If the Raiders move down into the middle of the first round, they may consider these players. Some may be surprised to see Mason Graham at 19, but there is skepticism about his potential impact. Furthermore, the Raiders are fairly set on the interior of the defensive line with Christian Wilkins, Adam Butler, and Tyree Wilson.
Towards the bottom of this group, there are a few guys that could possibly be available when the Raiders make their second pick. Notably, the Raiders project Stanford wideout Elic Ayomanor to be available at pick 24. If he were to slide, the Raiders could have a chance to nab a stellar complementary receiver to Jakobi Meyers and Brock Bowers.
Let’s wrap things up with the back half of the top 50.
Numbers 26-50
| NAME | SCHOOL | POS (rk) | GRADE |
| 26. Donovan Jackson | Ohio State | OL(4) | Late 1st Rd |
| 27. Walter Nolen | Ole Miss | DT(3) | 1st Rd |
| 28. Tyler Booker | Alabama | IOL(5) | Late 1st Rd |
| 29. Alfred Collins | Texas | DT(4) | Late 1st Rd |
| 30. Maxwell Hairston | Kentucky | CB(4) | Early 2nd Rd |
| 31. Omarion Hampton | UNC | RB(2) | 2nd Rd |
| 32. TreyVeon Henderson | Ohio State | RB(3) | 2nd Rd |
| 33. Kevin Winston Jr. | PSU | S(2) | Early 2nd Rd |
| 34. Colston Loveland | Michigan | TE(2) | 1st Rd |
| 35. Armand Membou | Mizzou | OL(6) | Early 2nd Rd |
| 36. Trey Amos | Ole Miss | CB(5) | Early 2nd Rd |
| 37. Jalen Milroe | Alabama | QB(3) | 2nd Rd |
| 38. Kenneth Grant | Michigan | DT(5) | Early 2nd Rd |
| 39. Wyatt Milum | West Virginia | T(7) | Early 2nd Rd |
| 40. Tyliek Williams | Ohio State | DT(5) | Early 2nd Rd |
| 41. Josh Conerly Jr. | Oregon | T(8) | Early 2nd Rd |
| 42. Cam Williams | Texas | OL(9) | Early 2nd Rd |
| 43. Tre Harris | Ole Miss | WR(7) | 2nd Rd |
| 44. Kaleb Johnson | Iowa | RB(4) | Late 2nd Rd |
| 45. Shavon Revel Jr. | ECU | CB(6) | Late 2nd Rd |
| 46. Shemar Stewart | Texas A&M | EDGE(7) | 2nd Rd |
| 47. Marcus Mbow | Purdue | OL(10) | 2nd Rd |
| 48. Grey Zabel | NDSU | OL(11) | 2nd Rd |
| 49. Deone Walker | Kentucky | DT(6) | 2nd Rd |
| 50. TJ Sanders | South Carolina | DT(7) | 2nd Rd |
Thoughts
Here, we will explore the options available for the Raiders in the second round. Towards the top of this group, running backs Omarion Hampton and TreyVeon Henderson would be terrific picks for the Raiders in the second round. If they take Jeanty first, they could get cornerbacks like Maxwell Hairston or Trey Amos.
Obviously, we have to consider the possibility of a quarterback in this territory. Unfortunately, the only option is Alabama’s Jalen Milroe. Taking him at pick 37 would provide decent value, but he could become a steal in the third round if available. He is a great fit for Chip Kelly’s offense and sitting behind Geno Smith for a couple years would be perfect for a developmental quarterback like Milroe.
Towards the bottom of this group, there are some excellent options that could be available in round three. Kaleb Johnson from Iowa would be a fantastic addition if the Raiders were still in the market for a running back at that time. If cornerback is still in play, Shavon Revel may fall due to injuries, which would be a major steal. Kentucky’s Deone Walker is one guy in this group who will almost certainly be available at pick 68. I am higher on him than most because his combination of size and quickness off the snap gives him a very high floor.
Final Reflection On This Class
Despite the lack of significant elite talent at the top, this class is extremely deep. The top 50 does not fully capture its depth. There are probably close to 100 guys with round two grades or better. If the Raiders do trade down, there has never been a better year to stockpile Day 2 picks.
*Top Photo: Courtesy of NFL.com
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