Raiders draft: Glaring needs open up possibilities

Las Vegas GM and head coach get first draft class to set a foundation

Prepare for all eventualities.

That’s a proper modus operandi (MO) when it comes to the Las Vegas Raiders this upcoming 2025 NFL Draft weekend.

This isn’t simply because the Silver & Black have a new regime headed up by general manager John Spytek, head coach Pete Carroll, and minority owner Tom Brady. It’s also due to the Raiders roster showcasing glaring needs that open up a myriad of possibilities.

Let’s not get it twisted: The Silver & Black has talent. There’s simply just not enough of it on the current roster.

The multitude of directions Las Vegas can go with not only their first selection — the No. 6 overall pick — but the other nine is truly intriguing. The new power structure could trade up, stand pat, or trade down in the opening stanza which will set the tone for the rest of the draft.

What Spytek and Carroll do in regards to the roster building over the course of the three-day draft will give us true insight on what kind of football team the Raiders will be in 2025 and beyond.

Mere Formality

There was no such under-the-hood look on Friday. Spytek and Carroll fielded questions during the team’s annual pre-draft press conference and there were no comments on specific prospects or how the pair view the 2025 draft class.

There was no pulling back the curtain, no insight.

Other than noting they’re working together well and their draft philosophy is in lock step, the shroud of mystery remains and for those expecting even a hint of what Las Vegas is going to do Thursday through Saturday, there was none of that.

And for good reason.

Pre-draft pressers are talk for the sake of talk. No substance, just a league formality.

I’d be remiss not to mention Spytek and Carroll don’t truly know what they’ll do in the first round on Thursday because the Raiders don’t select until sixth overall. Identifying who they’ll take and zeroing in on a particular prospect is impossible with five picks ahead of them. Add into that Las Vegas not having anything close to a complete roster, this all harkens to the number of possibilities.

Making it a situation where whomever Spytek and Carroll select at No. 6 and the other eight selections (or trade picks to move up and down) apt.

“Over-trying is really a problem — when you try too hard to make something happen that maybe isn’t justified,” Carroll said during the press conference. “And that comes from wanting to fill holes and fill voids, and you overreach. We don’t want to do that. We want to be very composed about the decision-making and not get all enamored with one person who’s going to make the difference in the draft. We’d rather go about it in a very deliberate way.”

Naked Eye

The laundry list of Raiders’ needs doesn’t require you to have super sleuth skills. It’s visible to the naked eye.

From starters to depth, Las Vegas’ key position needs (in no particular order) range from cornerback, linebacker, wide receiver, running back, offensive line, and quarterback. There’s nary a position group on the roster that Spytek and Carroll can’t bolster (perhaps starting tight end, kicker, punter, and longsnapper are the four spots that are gravy).

Due to this, there’s a high likelihood Raiders’ decision makers are in a perfect-storm spot where BPA fills a need.

“It’s a combination of both,” Spytek noted. “Certainly, we have to take into mind places that we’re not as deep at, at certain positions. And, also, we have opportunities to add really good players, too, whether we think we need that player or not. From my experience, there’s two things: If you start forcing players because you need them, you end up regretting that, and you also can’t have enough good players at certain positions, too.

“Sometimes what doesn’t feel like a need right now becomes a need after one or two injuries during the season, and then you’re thankful you took this really good player. At the end of the day, we’re going to combine all of that along with character and injury data and we’re going to have a cool stack set up and we’re going to pick the best player available.”

Popular, Unsexy

Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty is the popular projection to the Raiders at No. 6 overall. There’s nary a mock draft that doesn’t have the talented tailback landing with the Silver & Black.

While Spytek avoided commenting on Jeanty specifically, the Raiders GM remarked on valuing running backs despite the NFL narrative shifting to the devaluing of the position group. Just how much value Spytek places on the position will be told draft day. Las Vegas did well to sign veteran Raheem Mostert in free agency but the Raiders need quality depth in the backfield and the tailback class is described to be littered with talent.

That said, Spytek and Carroll are of the same ilk when it comes to building a football team: It starts in the trenches.

Thus, if the pick is an offensive lineman, don’t be surprised.

A prospect at No. 6 overall like the Missouri Tigers’ Armand Membou, The LSU Tigers’ Will Campbell, or the Texas Longhorns’ Kelvin Banks Jr. isn’t going to be sexy or scintillating like Jeanty but it helps bolster the Raiders in the trenches.

We’re likely not going to see a out-of-left-field-type selection at sixth overall — by this, I mean if Las Vegas selects East Carolina cornerback Shevon Revel Jr. without trading down. (Revel Jr., for me, is atop the Carroll-type cornerback list.)

Spytek, Carroll, and Co. will be eagerly awaiting what happens in front of them and when the Raiders are on the clock, the excitement begins. Unless, the team trades up or down, of course.

Speaking of: I think things will get truly interesting if the Raiders stand pat at No. 6 and Colorado quarterback Shedur Sanders is available. Minority owner Tom Brady has a close relationship with the prospect and has been mentoring him. I find it difficult for Brady to remain quiet if Sanders is there for the taking.

But while the first-round selection is vital, how the Raiders use the other eight picks is integral to this draft class. It should be the foundational group that sets the stage for success to come from the Spytek, Carroll regime.

The Silver & Black lack of success since a Super Bowl appearance in 2002 hasn’t been pleasant for Raider Nation. And the numerous draft whiffs plays a large part in that. If this new brain trust is intent on changing a moribund course, they’ll not only need to draft properly, but coach and develop the prospects into contributors.

Can the Raiders pick prospects properly and do they have the coaching staff in place to develop them?

We’ll find that out soon enough.