After firing their head coach Josh McDaniels and general manager Dave Ziegler last season on Halloween, the Las Vegas Raiders have a new regime with Antonio Pierce at the helm and Tom Telesco taking over as GM.
While its QB situation remains fluid with returning starter Aidan O’Connell and FA acquisition Gardner Minshew II jousting for the job, Las Vegas possesses some blue-chip players with WR Davante Adams on offense and DL Maxx Crosby and FA signing Christian Wilkins leading a stout defense.
The Raiders missed the postseason after an 8-9 finish in 2023 but have enough talent that a good draft class could get them back there for the first time since 2021. Let’s take a look at what the Raiders did in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Las Vegas Raiders Draft Picks By Round
- Round 1, Pick 13
Brock Bowers, TE | Georgia - Round 2, Pick 44
Jackson Powers-Johnson, C | Oregon - Round 3, Pick 77
Delmar Glaze, OT | Maryland - Round 4, Pick 112
Decamerion Richardson, CB | Mississippi St. - Round 5, Pick 148
Tommy Eichenberg, LB | Ohio State - Round 6, Pick 208 (from KC)
Dylan Laube, RB | New Hampshire - Round 7, Pick 223 (from NE)
Trey Taylor, S | Air Force - Round 7, Pick 229 (from MIN)
MJ Devonshire, CB | Pittsburgh
Who Did the Raiders Draft in 2024?
Brock Bowers, TE, Round 1, Pick 13
The Raiders had rumors swirling around them that they would aggressively pursue Jayden Daniels to bolster the QB spot. That would’ve meant making a deal with the Washington Commanders.
However, with no QB options left to take, the franchise turned to bolstering both the passing game and run blocking through tight end Brock Bowers at No. 13 — considered the TE1 of this class by PFN’s Ian Cummings.
Brock Bowers adds a potentially elite weapon to the #Raiders offense. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/dZKXfh9y0q
— Pro Football Network (@PFN365) April 26, 2024
“Bowers grades out as a top-10 prospect in the 2024 NFL Draft. He’s a blue-chip talent and the clear-cut No. 1 player at his position. Not only that, but his ability arguably transcends positional bounds and will enable him to be a usage-versatile offensive weapon in the NFL,” Cummings said.
Other projections had the Raiders turning to defense at No. 13. But in the end, Bowers gives new LV QB Minshew a new target.
Jackson Powers-Johnson, C, Round 2, Pick 44
The Raiders stayed with building the offense on Day 2. This time selecting Jackson Powers-Johnson out of Oregon.
Many projections listed Powers-Johnson as a potential first rounder and the first center off the board. He ended up sliding to the early second round.
Still, Las Vegas is adding some needed versatility and muscle in the interior offensive line. Cummings called him the best pure center of this class.
“For teams in need of a long-term starter at center, Powers-Johnson is worthy of early Day 2 capital — at the very least,” Cummings said.
KEEP READING: Raiders 2024 NFL Draft Grades
He adds how Powers-Johnson already has the appearance of being built for the league rigors.
“The 21-year-old already looks and feels like a high-level NFL starter at the fulcrum. His composite profile helped him win the Rimington Trophy in 2023, and that same profile should help him become an impact NFL starter early in his career,” Cummings said. “At 6’3″, 320 pounds, Powers-Johnson is an explosive and nimble athlete in both the lateral and vertical modes. What’s even more impressive is his power load at that size.”
Delmar Glaze, OT, Round 3, Pick 77
Pierce and the Raiders stayed with building the offense in round three. This time grabbing Delmar Glaze from Maryland at 77th overall to fill their tackle need.
Cummings called him a fringe top-100 prospect ahead of the draft. He adds how Glaze has starting upside in the league.
“At around 6’4″, 323 pounds, with massive 34 1/2″ arms, Glaze checks a lot of the physical boxes. And beyond his measurements, he’s a great athlete whose lateral mobility, in particular, is a major plus. He also brings quality short-area correction and enough explosiveness to close ground and attack in the ground game,” Cummings said.
Decamerion Richardson, CB, Round 4, Pick 112
Richardson was one of the best cornerbacks available and the Raiders moved quickly to add to their weakness in the back-end. Richardson did not record an interception for Mississippi State in his four-year career with the Bulldogs.
“In the immediate timeline, Richardson has enough matching awareness, technical versatility, range in recovery, and support utility to be a rotational boundary corner in the NFL, and he could take starting reps sooner rather than later,” Cummings says of the Raiders newest corner. “At his ceiling — if he can reach that point — Richardson has impact starter potential.”
Richardson should compete right away in an open spot on the roster.
Tommy Eichenberg, LB, Round 5, Pick 148
Identity is important for the Raiders defense. They made moves in this draft with Richardson, but Eichenberg can be a solid project at the linebacker position to learn under Antonio Pierce as head coach. While there are questions about his speed and viability in the NFL, the Raiders took a strong locker room presence here in the fifth round with potential.
Dylan Laube, RB, Round 6, Pick 208
Laube can simply be considered a massive steal for the Raiders in the sixth round. Laube dominated the Senior Bowl and was an excellent player out of the backfield receiving-wise over the last few seasons.
“His lack of pure power and tendency to bounce runs out to the perimeter could be an issue entering the league,” Cummings said. “Yet, Laube is certainly an intriguing Day 3 prospect who could sneak into the end of Day 2 if a team needs a dynamic pass-catching threat out of the backfield.”
Trey Taylor, DB, Round 7, Pick 223
Taylor won’t be winning any speed contests overall, but as a safety and defensive back as a whole, he possesses some intriguing traits that could entice the Raiders to develop him into a solid starter. A good locker room presence, Taylor is expected to compete right away on special teams.
MJ Devonshire, CB, Round 7, Pick 229
The final pick of the Raiders draft is another double-dip into the cornerback position. Devonshire has plenty of experience in the slot and possesses adequate tools needed to succeed in the NFL.
“Devonshire has the speed, explosion, length, processing ability, urgency, and slot-boundary versatility to be a solid rotational presence and spot-starter in zone and off-man heavy schemes,” Cummings wrote on the Pitt-product. “On top of it all, Devonshire is an instinctive turnover generator with gravity as a playmaker — a trait that could elevate his ceiling down the line.”