Las Vegas Raiders' final 2025 NFL Draft Class shows the new regime is serious about now and the future
The Las Vegas Raiders have finished their 2025 NFL Draft Class, and the first draft class of this new regime. And, let's be honest, it's not too shabby. In fact, I'd say it's pretty good overall, with a good mix of what they need and what they want. For the Raiders, it was important to […]
The Las Vegas Raiders have finished their 2025 NFL Draft Class, and the first draft class of this new regime. And, let's be honest, it's not too shabby. In fact, I'd say it's pretty good overall, with a good mix of what they need and what they want.
For the Raiders, it was important to get players who can help them win now and get better right now, and get guys who will help them in the future. That's important because the Raiders, but especially head coach Pete Carroll, said that this won't be some long rebuild, that he feels this team can win right now. That doesn't mean win a Super Bowl right now, no, but be a competitive team and fight for the playoffs.
The picks they have made have helped them get to where they need to be and put them on a path that will help them get to where they want to be.
Here is a look at the finalized and complete 2025 class that the Raiders put together this weekend:
Raiders 2025 NFL Draft Class
Round 1, Pick 6: Ashton Jeanty, RB, Boise State
The Las Vegas Raiders could not pass up on a player who fit the best player available strategy, while also getting a guy who plays the position of one of their biggest needs on their entire roster. The Raiders really like Jeanty, and despite all the smoke screens before Thursday, they stayed put and took their guy.
Round 2, Pick 26: Jack Bech, WR, TCU
The Raiders needed a receiver, and they got one who is good at everything. He's not elite really at anything, but good at it all, and he only has room to get better. He fits perfectly with what the Raiders needed and wanted to put around former Seattle Seahawks QB Geno Smith.
Round 3, Pick 68: Darien Porter, CB, Iowa State
This may be some of the fanbase's favorite picks outside of the Jeanty pick, and that's because the upside of Porter is insanely high, largely because of the athleticism on display anytime he steps on the football field. He's also 6'4", and had some of the best RAS scores we have ever seen of any CB ever. The Raiders will need to develop him into a star, but he can certainly be that.
Round 3, Pick 98: Caleb Rogers, OL, Texas Tech
The Raiders need some help on both the interior and the tackle spots, so they got a guy who has played at every position on the offensive line besides the center position. He will likely play inside for the Raiders, but they believe and really like what they see in him. He will need some developing, but he can be a solid football player.
Round 3, Pick 99: Charles Grant, OT, William & Mary
With the Kolton Miller contract extension situation going on, Las Vegas needed a backup plan, and they needed depth anyway. So, they went and got one of the best FCS tackles in the country, but he will need some development. Some believe that he could start this year if Miller decides to hold out, because he is that good.
Round 4, Pick 108: Dont'e Thornton Jr., WR, Tennessee
Maybe the biggest wild card pick of the draft for the Raiders — Thornton's speed is elite, and speed that the Raiders want to surround Smith with. His 4.30 40-yard dash is fast enough for him to be a legit deep threat, but he has to work on his route tree.
Round 4, Pick 135: Tonka Hemingway, DL, South Carolina
This is a pick where the Raiders can decide if they want to develop Hemingway into an edge rusher, or if they want to develop him as an interior defender — maybe a guy who primarily plays 3T. He's a tweener, but his potential as a pass rusher is pretty good. The Raiders like the trenches.
Round 6, Pick 180: J.J. Pegues, DT, Ole Miss
Pegues is a good player to get in the sixth round, a guy who most thought would be drafted late on Day 2 or early on Day 3. Instead, the Raiders get a guy who can play nose tackle if needed to, as he sits at 6'2", 325 pounds. He also had a run stop win rate of 8.9%, according to Pro Football Focus.
Round 6, Pick 213: Tommy Mellott, QB, Montana State
No one saw this coming. In fact, everyone thought the Day 3 QB that the Raiders would pick would be Will Howard, Quinn Ewers, or literally any other FBS player. Mellott is a baller, though. Last season, he had 31 passing touchdowns and two interceptions. Mellott won the Walter Payton Award, which is the FCS version of the Heisman Award.
Round 6, Pick 215: Cam Miller, QB, North Dakota State
And two picks later, they take Miller, which was even more shocking, especially when you consider they hadn't taken an LB or a true edge yet. Miller was named the 2024 MVFC Offensive Player of the Year.
Round 7, Pick 222: Cody Lindenberg, LB, Minnesota
The Raiders waited until their last pick to get the linebacker that they desperately needed. To me, this just isn't right, and he's undersized and not that great in coverage. But, he's a body they didn't have, so there's that.
Las Vegas Raiders draft tweener DL Tonka Hemingway with the potential to be a problem solver at DE or DT
The Raiders needed both positions.
