The Las Vegas Raiders are looking for their fourth head coach in as many seasons. Luckily, general manager John Spytek will get a second run at the draft in 2026, and ideally, he will be in better alignment with the incoming head coach.
Las Vegas will best be built into a contender through the draft, and years of failure in the event are the root of their current situation. There simply has not been enough young talent added to the equation, which has then forced moves to add veterans who have not proven to be up to the task.
That cycle must be broken, and this side of Ashton Jeanty (thanks to Pete Carroll), the jury is largely out about Spytek's first draft class. But let's look back at Tom Telesco's one and only draft class as the Raiders' general manager, now that those players have completed two full NFL seasons.
Grading the Raiders' 2024 draft class two seasons into their careers
Round 1, Pick No. 13: Brock Bowers, TE Georgia
Bowers was not going to realistically repeat his record-setting rookie season, but he started Year 2 in promising fashion with a 100-yard game in a win over the New England Patriots on opening weekend to set the tone.
But he also suffered a knee injury in that game, and it clearly limited his effectiveness over the following few games. Then, he was shut down for three games, but he came back with a vengeance after the bye week, catching 12 passes for 127 yards and three touchdowns in his return.
Bowers didn't have any massive games after that, but he was solid over a six-game stretch from Week 11-16. Then, out of the blue, in a move that invited mention of the dreaded 't' word (tanking), he was placed on IR with two games to go due to that lingering knee issue.
All things considered, given he was basically injured all season, 64 catches for 680 yards and seven touchdowns over 12 games was not an awful second year for Bowers. As he prepares for his third head coach in as many seasons, he is a building block that the new coach can take solace in having.
Grade: A
Round 2, Pick No. 44: Jackson Powers-Johson, OG/C, Oregon
After moving around as a rookie, Powers-Johnson was expected to settle in as the Raiders' long-term center in 2025. But the new coaching staff played around with the offensive line alignment for no reason, and Powers-Johnson was left to compete with the clearly inferior Alex Cappa at right guard.
That competition lingered into the season, as Powers-Johnson clearly didn't mesh with Carroll and his prodigal son Brennan, who was ill-suited to be the offensive line coach and run game coordinator. Then an ankle injury cost "JPJ" the final eight games of his sophomore season.
A coaching change may benefit Powers-Johnson more than any other Raider. Maybe he can actually be the center in 2026 and beyond, which would set the dominoes across the rest of the offensive line to fall more ideally.
Grade: B
Round 3, No. 77: DJ Glaze, OT, Maryland
Glaze has not been all that good through two seasons, with overall Pro Football Focus grades in the bottom half of qualifying offensive tackles in both campaigns. But he has appeared in every game thus far, and his 31 consecutive starts at right tackle count for something.
Finding a starter with a third-round pick is not so bad, and plenty of other teams did worse in that round of the 2024 draft. Maybe better coaching can unlock more from Glaze in the 2026 season and beyond.
Grade: C+
Round 4, Pick No. 112: Decamerion Richardson, CB, Mississippi St.
Heading into the 2025 season, it was easy to see Richardson, at 6-foot-2, as fitting the physical template that Pete Carroll covets in cornerbacks. With the question marks opposite Eric Stokes and the preseason trade of Jakorian Bennett, the path seemed to be paved for a significant role.
But it was not to be. Richardson played as many defensive snaps as you and I did until the season finale, as he played 13 against the Kansas City Chiefs. With how bad Kyu Blu Kelly was, Richardson must have been awful in practice to not earn any playing time. Or he wasn't one of Carroll's favorites.
Richardson's development was undeniably stalled in his second season while playing for a head coach who had a wholly unrealistic idea of where the Raiders are. Carroll also actually praised Kelly's performance at one point, as if he had not been watching his team on the field.
Optimism keeps the grade afloat here, with 2025 marked as an incomplete based on strained circumstances. Richardson's rookie season was rough, but also promising in some respects, as he got a lot of on-field reps.
Grade: C-
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Round 5, Pick No. 148: Tommy Eichenberg, LB, Ohio State
Eichenberg has been a core special teamer over his two seasons, playing 684 snaps. He has played a total of just 169 defensive snaps. If Pete Carroll had ever leaned into playing younger players, the former Buckeye would've been a prime candidate to see more time on defense.
With some changes surely coming to the Raiders' linebacking corps, maybe Eichenberg can make an impression on the new coaching staff and earn a notable defensive role. He has impressed in limited opportunities, and he brings the boom stick on special teams coverage.
Grade: C
Round 6, Pick No. 208: Dylan Laube, RB, New Hampshire
Laube was an interesting small school prospect heading into the 2024 draft, and ostensibly, he was an interesting addition to the Raiders' running back depth chart. Then, he had just one carry as a rookie, which he fumbled on.
He followed that up with seven carries this season, all in blowout losses, despite appearing in all 17 games. He has had a place as a special teamer, primarily a kick returner, with 318 total snaps over two seasons, with nothing of note otherwise.
Jeanty is clearly the Raiders' No. 1 running back, but maybe Laube can earn a role as a primary backup in 2026.
Grade: Incomplete
Round 7, Pick No. 223: Trey Taylor, S, Air Force
Taylor appeared in nine games as a rookie for the Raiders, strictly on special teams, playing 155 snaps. He did not make the initial 53-man roster this season out of training camp, and after being released, he did not land with another team.
Grade: D-
Round 7, Pick No. 229: M.J. Devonshire, CB, Pittsburgh
Devonshire spent his rookie year on the Raiders' practice squad, earning zero game action. Then, he was waived last spring. He was picked up by the Carolina Panthers, who waived him in late July. Then, he spent this season on the practice squads of the Baltimore Ravens and Buffalo Bills.
Grade: F