How Big of an X-Factor is Mark Davis for the Raiders Entering Draft?

Las Vegas Raiders owner Mark Davis and his organization are facing a pivotal NFL Draft.

The Las Vegas Raiders are inching closer to a critical NFL Draft day in their franchise’s history.

Las Vegas enters next season with many new faces on its coaching staff and front office. It has multiple positions of need and is just a few pieces away from being a playoff contender as soon as next season. However, it is also an injury or two away from struggling to win games, as has been the case the last few seasons.

The Raiders have a proven general manager in Tom Telesco and an unproven head coach in Antonio Pierce. Las Vegas has many new players arriving, as well as veterans who have been with the team for years. The only constant the Raiders have had over the last seasons has been their ownership.

Raiders owner Mark Davis has done a great job of staying in tune with the players in the locker room while not overly meddling in the team’s day-to-day processes like other owners around the National Football League.

However, as the draft draws near, the Raiders have multiple essential positions that must be addressed. The last few seasons have taught Davis he needs the right help in the right places to get the team where he wants it to be. Over the last few seasons, Davis has mainly only gotten involved with the team regarding decisions surrounding its coaching staff and front office.

Davis seems to be taking a relatively hands-off approach to the upcoming draft, which means he technically isn’t much of an X-factor on who the Raiders will draft. However, that is consistent with other decisions Davis has made. When he hired Telesco as the team’s general manager, it was in large part because of Telesco’s track record in that role. 

Davis doesn’t want to be responsible for correctly selecting players for the team to draft, so he hired Telesco. Davis is leaning on his decision to hire an experienced general manager to choose the team’s draft picks rather than depending on his feelings on who to draft, which could be in the best interest of Davis and the organization.

It is much easier for most NFL owners to choose the right general manager than the right players to draft. Besides reportedly giving his blessing to trade up if it makes sense, Davis likely won’t be much of an X-factor on the team’s draft day plans. However, that is likely his preference.

The NFL Draft will be held in Detroit, Mich., on April 25-27, 2024. The Las Vegas Raiders currently have the No. 13 overall pick.

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