The NFL Draft has wrapped up, and that means it’s time for draft grades! Usually, draft grades are pretty meaningless, as they are just repackaged draft analyses.
However, there are a few NFL Draft experts who believe in the process more than the actual picks, and that’s how they give out grades. That’s always been the case for Mel Kiper Jr., who gave the Raiders a “B” for their 2024 draft haul.
Here is what the long-time ESPN draft analyst had to say about the draft class for the Raiders:
So what did the Raiders do instead? They took an “offensive entity” in Brock Bowers (13), who will be a nice complement to Michael Mayer at tight end. I have him No. 7 overall in my rankings, and he’s going to make plays for whoever is taking snaps under center.
You can question whether the Raiders should have targeted a cornerback instead, but Bowers is a great prospect, so I’m not going to downgrade their choice. Jackson Powers-Johnson (44) should be an immediate starter at guard. I wasn’t as high on him as a lot of other people — I didn’t think he should be a first-rounder — but this is a good spot for him.
Picking the best player available in Round 1 is never a bad strategy and that is what the Raiders did at No. 13. Did they need Brock Bowers? No. But he is a dynamic player that will instantly bring more juice to the offense. If he hits, this draft class will be considered a success.
