2 weeks Ago
HENDERSON, Nev. — The Las Vegas Raiders filled a need while also drafting the best player available by taking running back Ashton Jeanty with pick No. 6.
He has all the makings of someone who should be a difference maker in Year 1 and gives the offense a solid nucleus of skill position talent along with quarterback Geno Smith, receiver Jakobi Meyers and tight end Brock Bowers. Advertisement No matter who the Raiders picked in the first round, however, they were going to be left with a ton of roster holes headed into Day 2 of the 2025 draft Friday. They have pressing needs for starters at receiver, linebacker and cornerback.
It would also make sense to add depth to both the offensive and defensive lines. And while Smith is the clear-cut starter this year, the Raiders maintain a desire to add a developmental quarterback at some point in the draft, according to team sources. In short, the Raiders need a little bit of everything to round out their roster.
They’re currently armed with two picks on Day 2 — picks Nos. 37 and 68 — and they have six more picks on Day 3. Here’s a big board of the top remaining prospects whom the Raiders could target.
Day 2 Sanders is a polarizing figure, but he has the prerequisite accuracy, awareness, football intelligence and leadership skills to be a solid starter in the NFL. His arm strength and mobility are always going to be average, but his pocket presence, fundamentals and mechanics can be improved with proper development. He could sit and work on that behind Smith after falling out of Thursday’s first round .
Green is an explosive pass rusher who stood out in a game against Ohio State, and has been adding weight in the offseason to convince teams he can also hold up against the run. There were some off-field issues, as Green was dismissed from the Virginia team and he has faced two allegations of sexual assault , which he has denied, so there is some extra homework required. Johnson is the kind of corner that Pete Carroll loves: a long, 6-foot-2 ball tracker with good press-coverage skills and a smoothness to his game.
No. 6 is too high, though, given that he missed games last year with turf toe and then sat out his recent pro day with a tweaked hamstring. He also missed more tackles than you would like on his tape.
Emmanwori is tall, long, fast and physical, which is exactly the type of defensive back that coach Pete Carroll loves. He played free safety, box safety and nickelback in college at a high level. He’d likely start out at nickelback for the Raiders, but could transition back to safety in the future.
Burden is a lightning-quick slot receiver with great body control and the ability to pile up yards after the catch. And there might be more here than people realize, as his quarterback play at Missouri stunk. It really is a great class of pass rushers, and Ezeiruaku’s 16 1/2 sacks last year — coupled with his 34-inch arms and bend — tell you he is only scratching the surface.
We wonder what the Raiders can get for Tyree Wilson in a trade later in the draft if they take an edge player this week. After spending most of his college career as a backup, Schwesinger broke out in 2024 and excelled both in run defense and pass coverage. Schwesinger was buried on the depth chart at UCLA when Kelly was the head coach there, but Kelly still has valuable insight into his makeup.
The Raiders’ linebacker room is shaky, and Schewesinger could help stabilize it immediately. Ersery is big and strong and moves well, but he was a left tackle only in college and needs work when it comes to his fundamentals and technique. He’d likely be delegated to a swing tackle role as a rookie, but he could give the Raiders a long-term succession plan for Miller, who’s heading into the final year of his contract.
The 6-foot-1 corner had 13 pass breakups last season at Ole Miss, his third school, and is a smooth player with good coverage skills. He is faster than teams thought, as well, running a 4.43 40-yard dash at the combine.
Higgins has the size, speed, athleticism and route-running ability to be a quality starting X receiver from Day 1. He also has the versatility to line up in the slot, which would allow Kelly to get creative with his receiver alignments and personnel groupings. Milroe may have the highest upside in this class outside of Cam Ward, as he is an elite runner and has a very strong arm.
The short passing game and feel need work, but the Raiders would have plenty of time for that if they picked him as Geno Smith’s understudy for two years. Tuimoloau is an all-around defensive end who was a quality pass rusher and run defender throughout his college career. His ceiling is questionable, but he should be an impactful player immediately.
Thomas is a 6-2, 196-pound outside cornerback who’s long, physical and consistent. He’s not exceptionally fast or athletic, but he’s good enough in those areas to stick with NFL-caliber receivers. He’d compete with Jakorian Bennett, Decamerion Richardson and Eric Stokes for a starting role as a rookie.
Advertisement The 6-4, 279-pound Burch has the athleticism and bend that teams want, but the tape doesn’t quite measure up. He’s a high-upside project. Not to be confused with his college teammate Shemar Stewart, Turner is a versatile defensive tackle who can also line up as a defensive end.
He’s a disruptive run defender and could carve out a situational role with the Raiders as a rookie. Scourton is an average athlete, but he utilizes his quickness, strength and motor to make plays both as a pass rusher and run defender. He’s another all-around defensive end who could be a fit.
A tough, quick slot receiver who could probably start right away. Noel needs to refine his route running, but he can also have an impact returning punts. Ratledge is a massive guard at 6-7, 308 pounds.
He has an old-school play style rooted in power and nastiness, but he’s also smart and a fluid mover. He missed 20 games due to injury in his four-year career, so durability is a concern, but he has the makeup to compete right away with Jordan Meredith, Dylan Parham and Alex Cappa for a starting role at guard. A 6-2 corner with length who will be available later than he should be after missing most of his senior season and the pre-draft process with a knee injury.
Day 3 Ewers has questionable size, athleticism and durability, but he has a rocket for an arm, is incredibly tough and ran an NFL-style offense under Sarkisian at Texas. His game needs a lot of refinement, but the upside is there. Bowman primarily lined up at safety last year, but the Raiders would start him out at nickelback, which is a major need.
He has the speed, athleticism and man coverage skills to stick there. This former rugby player weighs 342 pounds, took on blockers and freed up traffic for linebacker Carson Schwesinger to make a lot of plays. The Raiders could use a nose tackle.
Advertisement Stewart doesn’t quite have the measurables you want at 6-1, 249 pounds, but he plays with violence and leverage and can also drop into coverage. Williams is well built at 6-4, 222 pounds, is a good athlete and has the speed necessary to separate from NFL defenders. He was used in a unique way at TCU — he lined up outside, in the slot and in the backfield — and could carve out a starting role early on with the Raiders.
He may be a special teams player in Year 1 as coaches help him with his tackling and his vision, but the 5-11 Ransaw has speed (4.33 in the 40-yard dash) and versatility. He played in the slot the last two years before going through drills as a safety at the Senior Bowl.
Howard helped Ohio State win a national championship last season while thriving in Kelly’s system. He has prototypical size and good enough athleticism and arm strength. He’d give the Raiders an interesting quarterback to develop behind Smith.
King is a big inside linebacker who can do it all inside the box and loves to hit people. His lack of speed and agility hurts him outside the box, so his upside is that of a two-down starter. His father, Chris, was a seven-time Pro Bowler.
Hinton started 10 games at left tackle for the Wolverines last year and has the size (6-7, 323 pounds), long arms and bend that teams want. He just needs to work on keeping his pad level down, his hand use and finishing plays. At 6-foot-6, 336 pounds, Black would provide a body type the Raiders simply don’t have.
He doesn’t offer much value as a pass rusher, but he could be an impact run stuffer. Thornton is a 6-foot-5, 205-pound burner with inside-outside versatility. He may still be available on Day 3 due to his need for development as a route runner and mediocre college production.
(Top photo of Shedeur Sanders: John E. Moore III / Getty Images).
