Four players the Raiders could pick in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft
By Rhys Knott
Most experts believe the Raiders are going to pick Ashton Jeanty at six. But after signing Raheem Mostert in free agency, they now have six running backs. Jeanty may well be the best player available when their pick rolls around, but they surely have learned their lesson.
Last time around, they drafted Brock Bowers. Bowers broke the record for rookie receptions in Vegas. But while Bowers had a great 2024, the Raiders did not. That might be why a certain minority owner has taken a more prominent role in personnel decisions. Expect the Raiders to pick someone who fills a need ahead of the best player on the board at six this time.
Bowers’s immediate success came as the Raiders traded Davante Adams to the Jets without replacing him. Luckily, there is plenty of receiving talent in the 2025 class, and one of them might even be the new Adams.
It’s already been a busy off-season in Las Vegas. There’s a new coach, a new quarterback, and Tom Brady now seems to be steering the ship. But there’s still work to be done. Ten players departed in total, and only nine new faces arrived.
There’s only one left guard on the roster. While Kolton Miller can play at guard, moving your best left tackle only weakens two positions.
In one of the more underrated off-season moves, Robert Spillane signed with the Patriots. Antonio Pierce described Spillane as the Maxx Crosby of the linebacker corps.
They have signed Devin White, Jackson Mitchell and Elandon Roberts (and they drafted Tommy Eichenberg last year). Mitchell is a special teamer, though, and the other three only started 16 games last year (Roberts started 14).
The Raiders’ most important off-season move involved Maxx Crosby. They re-signed the defensive end to a three-year contract worth $106.5 million. Now they need to get him some help, especially after K’Lavon Chaisson’s departure.
Kenneth Grant. DL, Michigan
Everyone loves Grant’s Michigan teammate and fellow defensive tackle Mason Graham. Graham is very explosive, a walking highlight reel who seems destined for Jacksonville (poor Mason). But Grant is more of a lunch pail and hard hat kind of guy. He’s going to work offensive linemen into the ground. They’ll need an ice bath at halftime when the 331-pounder has finished with them.
Maxx Crosby would love to line up next to Grant, and offensive lines are going to hate trying to block two guys in perpetual motion.
It’s not just Grant’s size and strength that stand out. He has great instincts and makes really smart decisions, allowing him to burst into the backfield and gobble up the quarterback.
During his three years at Michigan, Grant made 69 tackles in 41 games, alongside 12 tackles for a loss and 6.5 sacks. The former four-star recruit is more than just a pass-rushing defensive tackle, though.
Grant defended 10 passes, recovered three fumbles and took an interception. Statisticians will tell you turnovers are random events, but you have to be in the right place to get your hands on 11 passes and scoop up important fumbles.
Grant projects as a late first-round pick, although one analyst expects the 49ers to take him at 11. Even that seems low for someone who might have better fundamentals than Mason Graham.
Kenneth Grant at 330+ hot damn
— Peter Bukowski (@peterbukowski.bsky.social) March 19, 2025 at 3:05 PM
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James Pearce Jr. EDGE, Tennessee
Look at #Tennessee edge James Pearce Jr. (27) drop and move around in coverage here. He's light but he's a different kind of athlete.
— Nick Baumgardner (@nickbaumgardner.bsky.social) February 21, 2025 at 4:38 PM
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K’Lavon Chaisson and Robert Spillane have moved to New England, and Devine Deablo is now a Falcon. They accounted for eight of the Raiders’ 37 sacks last season.
Pearce Jr. is smaller than Chaisson but a far better athlete. The 21-year-old is as good in pass coverage as he is in rushing the passer. The Jaguars drafted Chaisson with the 20th overall pick in 2020, and he made just five sacks in four years in Jacksonville. Pearce Jr. recorded 7.5 last season, in addition to 13 tackles for a loss and forcing a fumble.
6-foot-5 Pearce Jr. would be a great bookend opposite Crosby. He’s the fastest EDGE defender in the class. Pairing that speed with Crosby’s non-stop effort would be a perfect storm for every offensive line.
The former four-star recruit ran a 4.47 second 40-yard time at the combine (the same time Jalen Reagor and Cam Akers clocked). His 123-inch broad jump is in the 89th percentile of the 2025 class. The North Carolina native received first-team All-SEC honours in his final two seasons in Knoxville.
Pearce Jr. somehow projects as a second-round draft, although some see the Eagles scooping him up with the 32nd pick. The Raiders have quietly recruited some very interesting defensive backs (how very Pete Carroll). Pairing that backfield with a dynamic defensive front would invoke Legion of Boom memories. Maybe Pearce Jr is the new K.J. Wright?
Emeka Egbuka. WR, Ohio State
Emeka Egbuka finishing through contact
— Anthony (game script enthusiast) (@proant.bsky.social) March 20, 2025 at 7:46 PM
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The Raiders have plenty of receivers- nine, in fact. But you’d only trust Jakobi Meyers to come up big in a clutch situation. Egbuka is a technically sound receiver who loves to compete. The better the coverage, the better he performs.
Egbuka is the same height as Adams at 6-foot-1 tall but weighs 13 pounds less than him at 202 pounds. And just like Adams, he separates from defenders with seeming ease.
22-year-old Egbuka caught 205 passes in 49 games for the Buckeyes! He caught 10 touchdown passes in 2024, the second time he reached that total in three seasons! If that’s impressive, he ended his college career averaging 14 yards per reception, and that’s even more head-turning!
He didn’t turn many heads at the Ohio State Pro Day, though. The 2024 national champion ran a 4.45 40-yard dash, faster than Adams’ 4.56, but only ranks in the 69th percentile of this class!
The thrill of competing gets Egbuka’s engine revving more than sprinting in a straight line does. He’s going to be a thorn in the side of any defender when he’s on the field.
The former five-star recruit projects as a late first-round pick. But some see him going to the Seahawks at 18. Kupp, Smith-Njigba, and Egbuka would be formidable receiving corps. A smart GM should snap him up before then.
Will Campbell. OL, LSU
21-year-old Campbell played 2,548 snaps at left tackle for the Tigers and even lined up at right tackle for two snaps of his college career. But he’s cursed with short arms. Measuring just 32 and 5/8 inches, they’re in the 14th percentile of the tackle class, and his 77 and 2/8 inch span is only in the 1st percentile.
That shouldn’t eliminate him from playing at tackle in the NFL, but those in the know believe it makes him better suited to guard. And the Raiders desperately need a left guard. A left tackle who could also back up Kolton Miller would be an added bonus.
Regardless of any perceived physical shortcomings, Campbell’s elite athleticism alone makes him worth a high first-round pick. He ran a 4.98 40-yard dash at the combine, landing in the 94th percentile of the class.
Anyone that quick doesn’t need to worry about arm length. The foot speed will get them in position to block most defenders.
Campbell fell into the 94th percentile again with a 113-inch broad jump. And his 32-inch vertical sees him in the 90th percentile of the class. Despite blocking on 994 pass snaps the Louisiana native allowed just two sacks in his final two college seasons!
Whether he plays at tackle or a guard in the NFL remains to be seen, either way, Campbell should be a top 6 pick. He’s projected to be the Patriots choice at 5. But the Travis Hunter hype train is gathering momentum in New England. If the Jacobs Blocking Trophy winner falls to 6 the Raiders would be foolish to pass on him.
Nice work here from LSU OT Will Campbell (#66)… works the double, helps secure the DT and then works to the second level. Excellent job getting his body aligned and creates a solid crease in the run game.
— Ryan Roberts (@risendraft.bsky.social) February 6, 2025 at 1:50 AM
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RHYS KNOTT
NFL/FANTASY FOOTBALL ANALYST
Rhys has been watching the NFL for 30 something years and still hasn’t managed to pick a team to support. When he’s not fixatED on pass rushers you can find him blithering on about most sports on Twitter @wrhys_writes