The Way Too Early Grade The Draft Thread

[Attyla]

D+ we did not get our number one WR LOL

Actually, I like this draft, Spytek moved around a lot and got us some nice pieces. We did not get everything but it feels like Raiderland Christmas.


So let's see those overreaction grades. I know, I know, you cannot grade a draft for 3 years. Boo f[raiders_icon]cking Hoo. Lighten up Francis and grade this glorious weekend.

Mendoza by himself does not get us an A but the rest of the group certainly has to impress when put together. McCoy if he heals up makes the robber barons of the draft.

And there will be UDFAs and post draft pickups and drops. Tyree is going, well eventually, I mean the door s 40 yards away so it will take some time.

Grade A- but if McCoy pans out the grade could change.

[KillerRaider30]

we grabbed a powerful big back with 4.3 speed and have 2 good blocking tight ends on the roster too

Mike Washington Jr. began his college career at Buffalo, where he operated primarily in a gap and power-based system. During his three seasons with the Bulls, the offense relied on man-blocking schemes that allowed him to use his 223-pound frame to generate yards after contact. This environment established his reputation as a downhill runner who excelled when hitting designated holes rather than navigating complex read-and-react horizontal lanes.

His transition to New Mexico State in 2024 saw him lead a rushing attack that remained heavily focused on downhill power concepts. Under Tony Sanchez, the Aggies prioritized physical, North-South running, which perfectly complemented Washington's strength and straight-line explosiveness. By the end of this tenure, he was firmly categorized as a "power back" who thrived in heavy personnel groupings and traditional gap-scheme plays.

At Arkansas in 2025, Washington demonstrated more versatility within Bobby Petrino’s pro-style hybrid offense. While he maintained his power-running roots, he successfully integrated inside and outside zone concepts into his game, noting that the "inside zone iso" became a staple for the team. This final collegiate season proved he could combine his natural power with the patience and one-cut ability required for modern zone schemes, a dual-threat capability that helped secure his selection by the Las Vegas Raiders.

[ALLRAIDERWORLD21]

agree, kubiak put together a great team of talent evaluator's and coaches ...very detail oriented...love that we are still grabbing very talented players late in teh draft and even after the draft udfa's

I know..looking at the list of UDFAs and thinking this is crazy talent value..Thinking how many guys from last year are even gonna make the final roster haha

[Pfish252000]

I have a theory that mranquales is actually random1234

Idk random was one of a kind. I kinda miss his extremely dated rants that seemed predate the invention of the forward pass.

[DanKD]

Idk random was one of a kind. I kinda miss his extremely dated rants that seemed predate the invention of the forward pass.

Hed want Mendoza to play FB

[raiderboyron]

Hed want Mendoza to play FB

Well, after that TD run he had...

[Curay7680]

When management is discombobulated so is the product on the field.
This is the problem.

Since 2000
26 yrs ÷ 16 HCs = a new HC every 1.6 years.

Kubiak 2026
Carroll
Pierce
McDaniels
Bisaccia
Gruden
JDR
Sparano
DA
Hue
Cable
Kiffin
Shell
Norv
Callahan
Gruden 2000

The real reason for the suckness.

Forgot AP as part of the list.

[rcraider]

Idk random was one of a kind. I kinda miss his extremely dated rants that seemed predate the invention of the forward pass.

I think between him and Ivan/Al's Shadow, they had the market cornered on ridiculous takes. I think I would give Ivan the edge as he was probably tripping on acid half the time.

[Goodtimes333]

Idk random was one of a kind. I kinda miss his extremely dated rants that seemed predate the invention of the forward pass.

He wanted no less than 8 tight ends on the roster and 5 quarterbacks with dual threat ability. Dual threat is probably a stretch, they needed to be running backs with a decent throwing arm. Oh and the SPARQ scores. I would view the forum as a bystander and just be in awe at the rants. Kind of funny actually and entertaining

[Goodtimes333]

Ivanavich, I would bet money had a liquor still with potato's making vodka. He had a harder cock for Nick Foles than Eagle fans do

[Pfish252000]

He wanted no less than 8 tight ends on the roster and 5 quarterbacks with dual threat ability. Dual threat is probably a stretch, they needed to be running backs with a decent throwing arm. Oh and the SPARQ scores. I would view the forum as a bystander and just be in awe at the rants. Kind of funny actually and entertaining

As crazy as he was, I respected the research he put into his insanity. It was like living in an alternate reality when you read his posts.

[Pseudoscot]

I've had a few days to ponder on our draft. I won't grade it but I do have some observations which highlight how we now draft differently to years gone past.

- We drafted smart. No massive reaches and moved up and down depending on rising or falling value.
- We drafted appropriately, targetting players who are scheme fits and ignoring those who weren't even if they had value at the spot.
- We drafted with precision. Every pick filled a roster need. Admittedly this wasn't difficult as we had holes everywhere but I didn't see us loading positions with high quality starters already in place. I thought we had failed with Crawford but then shipped out Wilson.
- We drafted calmly. I didn't see any panic picks when there was a run on a particular position. It is clear we stuck to our board and followed it to the very last pick.
- We drafted in context. What I mean by this is that we clearly looked at the strengths and weaknesses of this particular class and valued our picks accordingly. It was a good year for o-linemen so we could wait past the first couple of rounds. It was a good year for d-linemen and as much as I wanted a D tackle early (Every year I have a fixation on this position, its a disease), picking one up later represented good value.

The reality for every draft class is most players won't make it. An average draft will get a team a 3 yr starter, a role player, and a special teams contributor, anything more than that is a bonus and hitting on a late round pick is quite rare. I think we've got a very good chance of getting much more out of this class and it shows a very clear change in how our organisation approaches drafting. Fingers crossed that they will pan out but I'm feeling very positive about how the last few days unfolded.

[raidersince63]

SMH...lots of solid and well thought out assessments...but predictably, lots of blind hate and flip flopping too.

[WNYRAIDER]

My optimistic look is The Raiders got the number one pick in the draft, not by having a really bad roster, but by having really really bad coaches. Now, having good coaches, with the number one pick The Raiders have a very good chance to become great again much quicker.

...while not ignoring the holes needed to fill prior to this staff having taken over, I feel that the last draft was solid, and that this team was seriously coached down last year, especially on offense.

[Rabidraider]

At this point everything is on paper but,

The O line looks much much better.
The linebacker room is much improved,
The secondary with Johnson and the new kids look better,
Adding Washinton improves the running back room
Special teams have no clue, but a bad kicker would be a nightmare.
and finally the edge rushers are better.

Receivers and D Tackles are my biggest question marks but Nailor is going to be a pleasant surprise.

[Rabidraider]

Starts with some Raider fun....