Kansas City Chiefs on top? Ranking the AFC West NFL Draft classes
By Jacob Milham
4. Las Vegas Raiders
Round 1, No. 13 overall: Brock Bowers, TE, Georgia
Round 2, No. 44 overall: Jackson Powers-Johnson, G/C, Oregon
Round 3, No. 77 overall: Delmar Glaze, OT, Maryland
Round 4, No. 112: Decamerion Richardson, CB, Mississippi State
Round 5, No. 148: Tommy Eichenberg, ILB, Ohio State
Round 6: No. 208 (from Kansas City): Dylan Laube, RB, New Hampshire
Round 7: No. 223 (from New England): Trey Taylor, S, Air Force
Round 7, No. 229 overall: M.J. Devonshire, CB, Pittsburgh
Las Vegas rolling with Pierce leading the team was their best offseason decision because not much of this draft class does. Their final three picks all profile as camp bodies, leaving many higher-ceiling talents on the draft board.
Jackson Powers-Johnson is a very talented interior offensive lineman, having been an All-America selection and winning the Rimington Award as the nation's top center in 2023. Yet, the Raiders just re-signed center Andre James to a three-year, $24 million contract this offseason. Drafting the Oregon product, who was college football's best center, and then moving him to guard raises questions.
Delmar Glaze and Decamerion Richardson both require plenty of work too. Even the top pick in this draft class does not guarantee improvement in their respective positions. While the Raiders entered the draft with various needs, they departed Detroit still in need of addressing several areas.
Biggest gamble: Brock Bowers
Las Vegas used the "best player available" approach at 13th overall and drafted Bowers. The Georgia product was a unanimous top-10 talent, but positional value dropped him down the rankings.
However, with every defensive player still on the board when Las Vegas was on the clock and in need of premium positions on that side of the ball, I disagreed with this selection. It would have made far more sense to me if they had drafted a defender or pursued a quarterback more aggressively.
Biggest steal: Tommy Eichenberg
Eichenburg's combine testing unveiled a rare trait, confirming the presence of that dog within the Ohio State alum. He has starting middle linebacker potential and complements Pierce's defensive mindset well.
Last season, Eichenberg missed three games due to an arm injury, after being named second-team All-American the previous year. He can pile up the tackles inside, recording 82 in 10 games last season. While he may not be involved in nickel work, Eichenburg is likely to be active early in four-linebacker sets.