Las Vegas Raiders' ideal target range for every single need they have entering the 2025 NFL Draft

The Las Vegas Raiders have a ton of needs still, even after doing the majority of what they've done in free agency. They still need to address some positions that they weren't able to address, and that's smarter to do at this moment in the 2025 NFL Draft. But, where should the Raiders put their […]

Justin Churchill — College Football & NFL Trending News Writer
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The Las Vegas Raiders have a ton of needs still, even after doing the majority of what they've done in free agency. They still need to address some positions that they weren't able to address, and that's smarter to do at this moment in the 2025 NFL Draft.

But, where should the Raiders put their focus at every round? They have so many needs still, and some needs are bigger than others, but some positional values in this draft is worse than others. They will have to be able to decide the range or time during the draft that they want to try and address a need that they have.

And, that's what I'm here doing. They have to get this draft right, especially if they want to try and keep up with the Denver Broncos and Los Angeles Chargers, who will both be challenging the Kansas City Chiefs much earlier than the Raiders will be.

Here is the ideal target range for every single need the Raiders have as they get close to entering the 2025 NFL Draft.

Raiders' ideal target range for every need

Quarterback

With the trade of Geno Smith, the need has certainly fallen down a bit, but that doesn't mean it's still not a need. In fact, head coach Pete Carroll has said that getting Smith doesn't change anything — they could very well still draft a QB. In my latest mock draft I have the Raiders drafting Kyle McCord in the fifth round, but late in the fifth.

I think late fifth round, all the way to the seventh round, is the most acceptable spot tp draft a quarterback. And, who knows, Jalen Milroe could fall all the way to the fifth round. But, there are some good QBs who will be available in those spots, like Tyler Shough, Kyle McCord, and maybe even Will Howard.

Running Back

This one is tricky, because we all know what everyone, or at least the majority of fans, want the team to do. The consensus pick at No. 6 overall seems to be Ashton Jeanty. So, I would deem the first round acceptable to get a running back, but only if it's Jeanty. And, even then I'd prefer they didn't do that. There are so many needs on this roster, that they could get better positional value elsewhere.

So, I would say overall, the acceptable range to target this position is really any round. But, to optimize the best positional value in the draft, I would say the Raiders need to target a running back between the second and four rounds. 

Wide receiver

The Raiders are in a tricky situation with their wide receivers. They have Brock Bowers, who, yes, is a tight end but is basically used as a wide receiver as well. Then they have Jakobi Meyers, who is considered a low-end WR1. They need a guy who either fits between the two of them, or a guy who fits right in between Meyers and Tre Tucker, who is currently WR2 on the team.

Now, I doubt they use a high pick to draft a wide receiver, but even if they did I think they should wait. To me, this draft, with not much top-heavy talent but a lot of really good depth, the Raiders should target a wide receiver after Day 1. The ideal range to target a wide receiver in this draft has to be between Round 3 and Round 6, but early Round 6. I think they can get a guy like Kyle Williams or Kobe Hudson on Day 3 for some really good value.

Offensive Tackle/Guard

The Raiders allowed the seventh most sacks in the league last year. They had two players within the top ten in blown blocks. And, they had the worst run game in the league. They will draft at least one offensive lineman, whether the fan base wants to believe it or not. The question is which one, and where do they do it?

For the offensive tackle position, I think they could draft one anytime between the third and the sixth round. Yes, I know, that's a much larger range, but the Raiders have other needs they should prioritize over the tackle position when they seem to have faith in D.J. Glaze. But, they do need a tackle regardless. I had them taking Anthony Belton from NC State in the fourth round. Unless they aren't sold on Miller coming back after this season, as he's in a contract year, or aren't sold on Glaze, they shouldn't draft one in the first or second round.

As for the guard position, it's pretty much the same, but with a much worse group of players currently on the roster. The feeling is that right now, Jackson Powers-Johnson and Dylan Parham will get two of the three starting interior offensive line positions. Now, where they start is a different story. They will let the other guys — Jordan Meredith, Will Putnam, and Alex Cappa compete for that job if they don't draft one.

This draft class at the guard position is a pretty good one. I'd say anywhere between the third and sixth round should be the target ranges fro drafting a guard. In my latest mock draft I had the Raiders taking Dylan Fairchild in the early sixth round.

Linebacker

This may be the biggest need on the entire defense, as the Raiders are currently slated to have two on-coverage linebackers as their starters. They need someone who can cover at the position, and because of that, I could see them taking a linebacker in the first round if they trade back to the back end of the first round.

With that being said, what are the chances of that actually happening? If that doesn't happen, they should keep in their heads that their guy at linebacker should be available between the third and seventh rounds. Yes, it's a big range again, but the linebacker position is undervalued, and at that position some really good players fall really late in the draft. However, you won't likely get a starting-caliber player in the seventh or even sixth round. You will just have to hope someone on the roster arises to the occasion — a guy like Amari Burney may do just that, considering he once played safety. Or maybe even Tommy Eichenberg, who was a fifth-round selection last year.

Cornerback

I would say that the first round is where it starts for the cornerback position, because I could see them taking any of the top three guys in Travis Hunter, Jahdae Barron, or Will Johnson. But, that's only if Hunter falls to them, and if they trade back on the others. So, like running back, this position is one where, yes, the first round starts it off, but you really want to find a cornerback between the second round and the fifth round.

After that, the talent drops off enormously. And, frankly, the Raiders have too many guys at the cornerback position who aren't stars. To me, it's time to go get a future star.

Defensive end

To me, this is a sneaky big need for the Raiders in 2025. They have Maxx Crosby, of course, and his backup in Charles Snowden. On the other side, it's one year, maybe more, of Malcolm Koonce who is coming off a torn ACL, and Tyree Wilson, who is certainly not who we thought he was going to be.

So, they kind of need another edge rusher. They need a backup plan for this year in case it doesn't work out with Koonce and his injury. And they need a plan for next year, when Tyree Wilson is in the last year of his deal and the team is considering whether or not they should bring Koonce back, even if he had a big year. In my mock draft, I took an edge rusher in the third round, but that's largely because I went BPA. Seeing Josaiah Stewart would be available was something I could not pass on. And hey, maybe he won't be available there.

I'd say the best range for the Raiders to target an edge rusher is between the third round and the sixth round, as most of these positions seem to be.

Defensive tackle

The defensive tackle position is pretty solid, especially once the Raiders brought back Adam Butler and a few depth pieces, too. One thing that I'd like to see them add is a nose tackle, which they really don't have. Now, they don't really play a bunch of situations where they have someone in 0 tech, but that's because they don't have a space eater or a run and gap stuffer.

They can get those late in draft. I'd say for what they need, they should only target the defensive tackle position between the fifth round and the seventh round.

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