Silver And Black Pride
Looking at how the media is perceiving Las Vegas’ draft haul
While draft grades before the rookies even step foot on the field don’t mean much in the big picture, it is interesting to see how analysts perceive the Las Vegas Raiders' 2025 NFL Draft haul. The media is pretty high on the 11 picks the Raiders made over the weekend, providing some optimism about the team’s future.
Also, Silver and Black Pride’s Ray Aspuria provided some draft grades as well.
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. — Chad Reuter
For more context, Reuter gave Las Vegas an A+, A and A for Days one, two and three of the draft, respectively. Clearly, he’s a big fan of Las Vegas’ haul. “Home run” is a pretty accurate description of Dont’e Thornton’s ability, as he’s a threat to create an explosive play any time he touches the ball with his 4.3 speed. However, Thornton is also liable to swing and miss. For a cross-sport comparison, the Tennessee product is the Raiders’ power hitter.
Grade: A+
The Raiders traded down twice near the top of Round 2, adding some valuable capital in a draft that was believed to have depth in the middle rounds. They still managed to add another potential playmaker in TCU wide receiver Jack Bech, a physical, reliable possession receiver who should complement the rest of Las Vegas’ receiving corps. — Kristopher Knox
Knox also dove into Ashton Jeanty and briefly touched on the rest of the Silver and Black’s picks. Adding a couple of third-round picks, which turned into offensive linemen Caleb Rogers and Charles Grant, while still landing Bech was an impressive move by John Spytek. As Knox alludes to, the TCU product adds a contested catch treat to complement Tre Tucker’s and Thornton’s speed out wide.
Ranking: 15th
Favorite pick: Ashton Jeanty, RB, Boise State
With 11 total picks, including five in the top 100, the Raiders should look back at this class as a great start to the John Spytek-Pete Carroll era. I’m eager to see Jack Bech’s role in the offense, and both...
