Raiders Cannot Afford to Reach in NFL Draft

The Las Vegas Raiders are preparing for the 2025 NFL Draft.

While free agency begins this week, the Raiders will still evaluate long-term options for when April rolls around.

General manager John Spytek made his money with his eye for talent in the draft. He will look to build a foundation on both sides of the ball for a team that needs more young talent.

The Raiders sit with the No. 6 overall pick and a good amount of cap space. With their current position, they should be in a good spot to begin a rebuild, or re-tool, as the former word is frowned upon by coaches and executives.

After the Raiders address immediate needs in free agency, they could be free to do what they please with their first-round pick.

However, they should still make a careful decision and not reach for a player with that pick.

The Raiders have been known to reach for certain draft picks in recent years – Clelin Ferrell with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2019 draft and Alex Leatherwood with the No. 17 overall pick in the 2021 draft.

Ferrell was a fine player for a few years with the Raiders, but he was still overdrafted in relation to his college production. Leatherwood only lasted one season with the Silver and Black.

Although the Raiders' rebuilding process is on a promising track, that does not mean they should make their first-round pick without absolute caution.

Now, a pick could appear to be a ‘reach’ to the outside world, but if the Raiders believe in a player on which they have done extensive research, there is no such thing. If Spytek likes a player and thinks they are worthy of a top-10 selection, there is a good chance they are.

Would drafting running back Ashton Jeanty at No. 6 be considered a reach? He is a top-five player on many draft experts’ boards, so not likely.

The argument about positional value has diminished recently, too, with how well Saquon Barkley and other running backs around the league performed this season. Jeanty might make perfect sense as a Raider at No. 6 overall.

Spytek will take a calculated approach to this offseason, including making absolutely sure they make the right selection in the first round. Raiders fans should not worry.

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