Raiders Opinion: Playing With House (Draft) Money

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The Las Vegas Raiders enjoyed a memorable week in free agency. After a flurry of activity, the roster looks vastly different from how it looked at the conclusion of the 2021 season. Yet, the roster doesn’t feel quite complete yet. With that said, the Raiders, even after shipping their first two draft picks in this April’s draft, still have the opportunity to fill out the remainder of their roster. Of course, rookies need to play a part of the final roster. Now, which positions could be interesting a little more than a month away.

Best Player Available

With so much of the roster, from a starting position looks rather cemented, the Raiders could choose to draft the best player on the board. Granted, most prefer to attack positions of need, Like playing with house money, Las Vegas can grab a slew of mid-round prospects that could serve a couple of purposes. First, these draftees could evolve into starters with time and development. Today’s third-round offensive tackle could become tomorrow’s right tackle. Lastly, the mid-round gems could save the team money by outperforming starters and necessitating a trade or release that will ultimately save the organization money.

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Projects

Luckily for the Raiders, the middle of the 2022 draft could see them draft players with unbridled athleticism but greener than chlorophyll. Stashing these talents away and letting them earn field time in special teams/subpackage situations. Players that arrived later at their positions or didn’t play the best competition. Raw potential can be shaped into quality talent down the line. Combine standouts could find themselves staying in Nevada after the draft. Although he wouldn’t see the field, a later-round quarterback to craft into a suitable backup would not hurt at this point. No pressure on Derek Carr. In fact, a chance to mentor exists.

Free Roll

The Las Vegas Raiders, for the first time in recent memory, enter the draft, playing with proverbial house money. With little to no pressure to turn picks into immediate starters, you will see the team add to the athleticism of the team. For the last few seasons, the team, with the exception of two offensive starters, lacked the gamechanging burst. As a result, I expect coverage and return units with better explosion. At what time in Las Vegas do you see a low-risk, high-reward situation involving draft picks. Unlike previous administrations, the pressure is off of the team to find elite talent. Instead, they can sit back, relax and enjoy the process.