The Las Vegas Raiders have the power to take a sledgehammer to their current roster in the 2025 NFL Draft, as new coach Pete Carroll and GM John Spytek are still trying to dig themselves out from the wreckage that Antonio Pierce and Tom Telesco left in their wake.
The Raiders haven't spent a ton of money in free agency on external free agents, choosing instead to lock up Maxx Crosby for the long-term future while taking some chances on players in need of a second chance. The Draft has become even more important, as the Raiders will have no better opportunity to address some of their big areas of need.
Las Vegas is shaking things up in this draft, which means that no one should be expected to hold onto a starting role if they don't have any past connections with Carroll or Spytek. These four players might be listed as nominal starters on the depth chart, but one or two very timely picks from Spytek might be enough to completely ruin their dreams of a starting role.
4 Raiders in danger of being benched for rookies after 2025 NFL Draft
RB Raheem Mostert
Mostert might be the nominal starter at running back at this point, but far be it from Carroll to lean on a 33-year-old coming off a disappointing season. With the raiders squarely at the center of the whole Ashton Jeanty sweepstakes, it stands to reason that any highly-picked running back could push Mostert down the depth chart.
CB Decamerion Richardson
Richardson had such a brutal time in his rookie season that he illustrated just how much help this cornerback room needs. Carroll, who has typically prioritized picking cornerbacks early in his drafts with Seattle, might not be too indebted to a player like Richardson if he finds a new young gun he can lean on.
RT DJ Glaze
While Kolton Miller might need a succession plan, rumors that suggest the Raiders are interested in Missouri's Armand Membou could serve as a direct challenge to Glaze. While he flashed as a rookie, any situation in which Membou is the pick at No. 6 could send Glaze back to the bench in his sophomore season.
WR Tre Tucker
The Raiders' need for more wide receiver talent is so important that it should surprise no one if they use multiple picks in this draft to supplement Jakobi Meyers. Tucker will still play a role in 2025, but he may need to fend off some challenges from multiple new picks that could knock him further down the depth chart.