It was a big weekend for the Raiders. That general level of exhaustion you feel probably stems from the fact that, in their first season running the team, Pete Carroll and John Spytek (and maybe Tom Brady??) drafted eleven guys. They essentially got an entirely new side of the ball in one weekend.
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And the top of the Raiders' draft class has been talked about plenty – Jeanty's going to be a focal point in this offense from the moment he steps foot on the Raiders' field, and second round wide receiver Jack Bech figures to get meaningful snaps from the get-go as well. The vibes in Vegas *felt* pretty high when everything wrapped up on Saturday afternoon, but it never hurts to get some outside confirmation. That's why Mel Kiper's post-draft grades are so great – they already confirm what we already know: the Raiders actually did it. They actually pulled off a great draft. Here's what he had to say about it.
Mel Kiper loved the Raiders' first draft of the Pete Carroll era
"The Raiders really needed to make a splash, too. They were last in rushing (3.6 yards per carry), and 33-year-old Raheem Mostert was at the top of the depth chart Thursday morning. I talk a lot about how teams should never take running backs in the first round, and this is the earliest we've seen one selected since Saquon Barkley went second in 2018. I'm lifting that philosophy for this pick. Jeanty was my No. 4 prospect. I'm OK with this one ... It's easy to get excited about the offensive upgrades and forget about the defensive turnover, though. Let's not get ahead of ourselves. The Tre'von Moehrig and Robert Spillane losses could hurt. Darien Porter was the only defensive pick before Round 4. He's speedy, but he's still learning the cornerback position after switching from receiver. Tonka Hemingway is an undersized 3-technique, and I'm not positive how fellow defensive tackle JJ Pegues fits into the mix."
Any time your draft pick goes against what even the most opinionated draft gurus think – and they're okay with it – you've hit a home run. Kiper ended up giving them a 'B' overall, which is *fine* by me. The fact that Jeanty is so good that Kiper doesn't even care that the Raiders threw normal draft sense to the wind makes me think that Carroll did, in fact, get a good one.
Mel Kiper loved the Raiders draft, so I loved the Raiders draft. Time for some morning pumpkin pie.