Experts are roundly praising Raiders draft class with one calling it a 'masterpiece'
If you are thinking the Raiders new regime kinda nailed this draft, you're not alone in that opinion. It would appear the feeling about how the Raiders worked this draft and added talent is being pretty roundly praised. A quick glance at a few major outlets' opinions of how the Raiders did seems to confirm that.
The Raiders worked the draft by trading down twice in the second round, bringing their tally from nine picks to 11, with five picks inside the top 100.
Here is that class:
Round 1 (No. 6): RB Ashton Jeanty, Boise State Round 2 (No. 58): WR Jack Bech, TCU Round 3 (No. 68): CB Darien Porter, Iowa State Round 3 (No. 98): OG Caleb Rogers, Texas Tech Round 3 (No. 99): OT Charles Grant, William & Mary Round 4 (No. 108): WR Dont'e Thornton Jr., Tennessee Round 4 (No. 135): DT Tonka Hemingway, South Carolina Round 6 (No. 180): DT JJ Pegues, Mississippi Round 6 (No. 213): WR Tommy Mellott, Montana State Round 6 (No. 215): QB Cam Miller, North Dakota State Round 7 (No. 222): LB Cody Lindenberg, Minnesota
A quick search found NFL.com, Pro Football Focus, and CBS Sports who graded every team's draft class. And the positivity over the Raiders class looks to be pretty much unanimous.
NFL.com
Grade: A
I suspected Jeanty's strength through contact and open-field burst wouldn't make it past the Raiders if he was still in the green room in Green Bay. General manager John Spytek and head coach Pete Carroll hit the right notes with Bech at receiver and Rogers and Grant improving the offensive line.
The Raiders needed at least two receivers in this draft, and they hit a home run with Thornton, an underutilized size/speed guy. Hemingway brings activity and Pegues size to the team's defensive line rotation. They picked both of the quarterbacks who played in the 2024 FCS Championship Game: Miller (North Dakota State) and Mellott (Montana State). Miller has potential as a reserve, and Mellott -- who put up elite workout numbers and ran routes as a receiver at his pro day -- was announced as a receiver when he was picked.
Notes: The Raiders were one of five teams to receiver a solid A grade and one of only two teams (Titans the other) to receive at least an A for each day along with an A+ (Day one).
PFF
Grade: A
Jeanty — His 152 missed tackles forced were nearly 50 more than any other FBS running back last season, and he was the only back in college football with 10 or more touchdown runs of 20-plus yards (12).
Bech — The star of the Senior Bowl game, Bech is another weapon for newly acquired quarterback Geno Smith. He brings excellent hands, having dropped just one pass in 2024. He was also efficient, averaging 2.44 yards per route run.
Porter — Porter is a former wide receiver who ranks above the 95th percentile in height and length and has an elite track background that translates to the field.
Rogers — Rogers brings extensive experience at tackle, having clocked 55 career starts and more than 4,300 snaps across five seasons at Texas Tech. While he possesses good athleticism, he lacks the ideal lower-body power to anchor.
Grant — Grant is a late bloomer at the tackle position, having never played football until his junior year in high school. He carries raw potential, with quick feet and lateral quickness to reach his landmarks, which helped him earn an impressive 93.0 PFF run-blocking grade on zone concepts in 2024.
Thornton — There aren't many wide receivers at 6-foot-5 and over 200 pounds who can run a 4.3-second 40-yard dash. Thornton wasn't a high-volume option in Tennessee's offense, but he made his looks count, averaging 25.5 yards per reception.
Hemingway — Hemingway can provide some pass-rush production from the interior and could be moved out to the edge.
Pegues — Pegues ranked 124th on the PFF Big Board, making this a solid value selection for the Raiders. He earned an 81.8 PFF run-defense grade and a 76.4 PFF pass-rushing grade against true pass sets in 2024.
Mellott — While he doesn't have an NFL-caliber arm, he brings plenty of speed and athleticism to the table. Mellott accounted for 46 total touchdowns in 2024.
Miller — The Raiders add another FCS quarterback in Cam Miller, who posted a 92.6 passing grade from a clean pocket in 2024.
Lindenberg — Lindenberg is an excellent run defender... While his 61.0 coverage grade isn't eye-popping, he never allowed a touchdown into his coverage during his collegiate career.
Notes: Two teams got an A+ with seven other teams landing a solid A grade. And they didn't just hand out positive grades either. For instance the 49ers got a D grade fo their draft class.
CBS
Grade: A
Raiders new general manager John Spytek, take a bow. What a debut. Jeanty was one of the clear blue-chippers available in this class. Bech is one of the most complete receivers in the class who's going to rock in the middle of the field. Throw in the addition of Thornton, a 6-foot-5 burner with 4.30 speed, and Geno Smith should be popping champagne.
Porter has immense upside because of his athleticism and length at cornerback, and Rogers possesses similar potential as a stellar athlete in his own right who played nearly 4,400 snaps in college at four positions. Pegues and especially Hemingway give the defense pass-rushing juice on the inside. I even compared Cam Miller to Brock Purdy.
This is a masterpiece for a team that needed skill-position weapons on offense and depth on defense.
Notes: The Raiders were one of six teams to receive solid A grades. Highest grades went to Round two WR Jack Bech (A+) and Round three CB Darien Porter (A+). With sixth round QB/WR Tommy Mellott receiving the worst grade (C-).
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