Grading the pick: The Raiders last three picks of the 2026 NFL Draft tell a lot about how they feel about some roster issues
The Las Vegas Raiders have some pretty decent players at the end of Day 3, but it says a lot about how they view roster issues.
At the end of Day 3, the Las Vegas Raiders went defense, offense, defense. They started with a fifth-round pick, Hezekiah Masses from Cal. Then, they took Oregon wide receiver Malik Benson. They ended their draft with Brandon Cleveland, the defensive tackle from NC State. All of them have the traits to be eventual 53-man roster-type guys.
The Raiders taking a WR and DT with their last two picks says a lot
This whole time, we were all thinking the wide receiver position and defensive tackle position would be the second and third positions addressed in the draft. Nearly every single mock draft had one of those in the second round and the other in the third round. They decided to make those the last two positions they addressed, focusing heavily on the secondary.
This suggests they have faith in their receiving corps. It was thought they might trade Tre Tucker and draft another WR, since the two rookies from last season didn’t show much. And, hey, why wouldn’t you want to put more weapons around your rookie QB? Well, this shows they trust what they have, and they want to see those two young guys in a real offensive system before judging and giving up on them. As far as the defensive tackle room, they traded away Tyree Wilson, who was going to play that 4T position in the 3-4, and drafted Keyron Crawford to help with pass rush on the edge. They drafted a run stopper in Brandon Cleveland. They think that the room is better than the national presumption.
Final grade
Hezekiah Masses, CB: The Raiders really addressed the CB room well, and I believe got two guys who can be starters next season. Masses is extremely good in coverage, but it is raw. He has a lot to learn and develop. This one is a B+, only not better, because I think they could have addressed something else, like WR or DT.
Malik Benson, WR: The Raiders got a deep threat WR that can develop into a nice depth piece, and they did that in the sixth round. I think this is a B grade, but it would be better if they addressed the position earlier.
Brandon Cleveland, DT: Cleveland has really good size for what the Raiders need there in the middle. And, he’s not a bad run stopper. However, I’m not sure if he will ever see the field as a rookie. This one is a C.
