The Las Vegas Raiders' 2025 NFL Draft class has the potential to be a foundational piece for the future success of the franchise. With 11 total picks, it was easier for the team to address many needs. However, the decision-making trio of Pete Carroll, John Spytek and Tom Brady clearly had a certain type of player in mind going into the event.
With the 73-year-old Carroll in place as the team's head coach, the Raiders are in something of a "win-now" mode. The move to trade for quarterback Geno Smith showed this, and multiple rookies are already locked into notable roles or will be in the mix to compete for one right away.
A big part of being deemed NFL-ready as a rookie is having played a lot in college, ideally against high-level competition. Members of this year's draft class are the last remnants of those who got a free year of eligibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic, so many of them are coming to Las Vegas with extra experience.
Raiders' 2025 draft class ranks highly in most expected metric
Pro Football Focus has ranked each 2025 draft class by their total number of snaps played in college. The Raiders came in second in this metric, with their 11 draft picks totaling 22,874 collegiate snaps.
"Headlining the group was No. 6 overall pick Ashton Jeanty, who earned a 95.3 grade in 2024 and finished second in Heisman voting," PFF wrote. "Jeanty and second-round wide receiver Jack Bech combined for 3,177 snaps in college, but the Raiders’ draft haul included four players who surpassed 2,000 career snaps."
This amount of experience will certainly be crucial for Jeanty and Bech, as they will be heavily relied on right away. There are several other members of the class who may not see immediate roles, but should have a wealth of experience to fall back on if their number is called.
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"Third-round tackles Caleb Rogers (Texas Tech) and Charles Grant (William & Mary) bring plenty of experience to the offensive line. Rogers played five seasons at Texas Tech, logging 2,326 snaps at right tackle and 1,383 at left tackle. Grant, a career left tackle, posted a 91.2 grade in 2024," wrote PFF. "Sixth-round quarterback Cam Miller was a four-year starter at North Dakota State who logged 3,293 snaps and led the Bison to two FCS national titles while excelling at the FCS level."
Part of the Raiders' high standing in this metric comes from sheer volume, as their 11 picks in the 2025 draft were tied for the most in the league. However, a majority of these players spent a lot of time on the field in college, as four of them eclipsed 2,000 college snaps and five more topped 1,500.
While there is no direct substitute for playing at the NFL level, it is no coincidence that the Raiders drafted so many players with extensive college experience. This was clearly a priority for the team's new decision makers, and it should pay off in Year 1 of the Carroll-Spytek-Brady experiment.