Raiders Draft Haul Praised: Can Young Guns Fuel Playoff Push?

While many mock drafts felt like the Raiders would target a quarterback, Las Vegas didn’t select a single signal-caller, partially because so many were off the board by the time it came up in the first round. Instead, the team got one of the top-rated players in the draft in tight end Brock Bowers, then continued to make solid picks with its next seven selections.

The team still has some long odds, with its current over/under for regular-season wins sitting at 6½, and its odds for making the postseason at -400 odds against. Still, the 2024 draft class could be helpful in making the Raiders a much better team in the fall.

Brock Bowers Should Make Immediate Impact

NFL Draft odds had Bowers, the Georgia tight end, a favorite to be picked in the top 10. When he slipped and was available at No. 13, the Raiders didn’t hesitate to add him, even with 2023 second-round pick Michael Mayer already on the team at the position.

Bowers has the versatility to play in the slot, and many believe he’ll immediately become the team’s second-best receiver behind Davante Adams.

“One of the things I do best is the yards after catch and being able to get vertical after I get the ball,” Bowers said at last week’s team rookie minicamp. “They have a great culture here already so I can’t wait to melt in and do my things and get to work.”

Bowers had 175 catches for 2,538 yards and 26 touchdowns in his three seasons with the Bulldogs, earning first-team All-America honors in all three campaigns and becoming the first back-to-back winner of the John Mackey Award for the nation’s top tight end. If he lives up to his advance billing, he alone could make this draft class a good one.

Powers-Johnson & Glaze: Offensive Line Gets Pair Of Pieces

The Raiders were also helped by their second-round pick, Oregon offensive guard Jackson Powers-Johnson, falling from his projected spot. Many had the 6-3, 334-pounder as a first-round pick, so when he was there in the second round, the Raiders were more than happy to take him.

Powers-Johnson and Maryland offensive tackle DJ Glaze were the team’s second and third-round selections, respectively, giving the team some depth at a need area heading into the draft. The duo roomed together for the team’s rookie minicamp, trying to help each other along their journey into the NFL.

Late Picks Focused on Defense

The Raiders needed some help for their secondary, and they got a couple of cornerbacks on the third day of the draft, selecting Mississippi State’s Deamerion Richardson in the fourth round and Pittsburgh’s M.J. Devonshire in the seventh round.

Las Vegas also added Air Force safety Trey Taylor, the Jim Thorpe Award winner, early in the seventh round. Taylor can provide run support near the line of scrimmage and could get some time in obviously passing situations.

Ohio State linebacker Tommy Eichenberg was another defensive selection in the fifth round. Eichenberg led the Buckeyes in tackles in 2022 and will also provide potential depth on the defensive side of the ball.

Will Youth Help Raiders?

As stated above, the Raiders haven’t been to the postseason in a few years, and as head coach Antonio Pierce begins his first full season running the team, he’s looking for some hungry players on both sides of the ball. The general grade of the Las Vegas draft has been A’s and B’s from most experts, but that isn’t going to mean anything until the players contribute on the field.

Being in the same division with the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs isn’t going to help Las Vegas in its attempt to return to the postseason. And the odds are again not with the club. But if you think Bowers can make the impact he’s expected to, an NFL futures bet on the Raiders making the postseason might be worth taking a flier on.

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