The Way Too Early Grade The Draft Thread

[Attyla]

D+ we did not get our number one WR LOL

Actually, I like this draft, Spytek moved around a lot and got us some nice pieces. We did not get everything but it feels like Raiderland Christmas.


So let's see those overreaction grades. I know, I know, you cannot grade a draft for 3 years. Boo f[raiders_icon]cking Hoo. Lighten up Francis and grade this glorious weekend.

Mendoza by himself does not get us an A but the rest of the group certainly has to impress when put together. McCoy if he heals up makes the robber barons of the draft.

And there will be UDFAs and post draft pickups and drops. Tyree is going, well eventually, I mean the door s 40 yards away so it will take some time.

Grade A- but if McCoy pans out the grade could change.

[Attyla]

Sorry I dont think he knows what hes talking about. He says we passed on speed like the old Raiders but we picked a bunch of players with rop 40s.
Then he says Stokes is upfront saftey who can lay the wood. He's not. He's another blazer who only started tackling last year. Look at his game logs.

It is called developing at the position. I want guys who figured things out on schedule. Stukes relied on athletic skills but learned that he needed to complete his game and he did that. So what if it was last year, he figured it out. And that does suggest the guy is coachable so good for us.

[RunOverByHubbard]

CBS ran a "home runs and in round 2 and 3 and they cite our pick as one of the few highlighted:

Las Vegas Raiders OL Trey Zuhn III, Texas A&M (Round 3, pick 91)
Zuhn played left tackle last year for the Aggies, but could easily move inside at the next level since he has experience at center. Last year, Zuhn registered the nation's highest pass-blocking grade (96.9), according to PFF, and allowed one sack on 382 pass-blocking snaps.

"Zuhn is going to be a perfect fit for Klint Kubiak's running scheme. He's one of the better blockers on the move in this offensive line class and has some of the best hands in pass protection. He has the body type to start anywhere the Raiders need him on the offensive line."
Grade: A+

They also like Pregnon to the Jags
https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/2026 ... ounds-2-3/

[KillerRaider30]

Here's a connection

In 2025, the Arizona Wildcats secondary was widely regarded as the "best secondary in the nation," serving as the backbone of a defense that fueled a 9-4 season. The unit was defined by elite ball-hawking and historic efficiency, leading to four defensive backs being selected in the 2026 NFL Draft.

2025 Passing Defense National Rankings
The secondary's dominance is reflected in its top-tier national rankings:

Team Pass Efficiency Defense: 1st in the nation.

Interceptions: 2nd in the nation with 22 total picks.

Passing Defense: 7th in the nation,

allowing only 165.3 yards per game.

Turnover Margin: 1st in college football...

[KillerRaider30]

For the 2025 season, the best defensive back for the Arizona Wildcats was Dalton Johnson, though Treydan Stukes earned the highest individual accolades. Both were named First-Team All-Big 12, marking the first time in program history that multiple Arizona defensive players earned first-team honors in the same year.

Top Performers: Dalton Johnson vs. Treydan Stukes
While they shared the spotlight, their contributions were different:

Dalton Johnson (Safety): Widely considered the "rockstar" of the defense.

Statistical Leader: Led the entire team in tackles with 97 and tied for the team lead with 4 interceptions.

Historical Feat: Became the first Arizona defensive back in nearly 20 years to lead the team in tackles in back-to-back seasons.

Awards: Earned Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week honors twice and was an Honorable Mention for Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year.

Treydan Stukes (Star/CB): Recognized as the unit's elite coverage specialist.

Top Accolades:
Named an AP Third-Team All-American, making him the highest-honored player in the secondary.
Impact: Finished with 52 tackles and matched Johnson with 4 interceptions despite missing early games due to injury.
Advanced Metrics: Ranked as Arizona's top-rated defender by PFF with a defensive grade of 89.1.

[KillerRaider30]

Please forgive my earlier rants.
I should know by now after 50 years to give the draft 24 hours before I start commenting/bitching about it. Lol

[chucker]

I am always curious about draft grades even though I don't put too much stock in them. I like our draft, some picks more than others. I love our first pick.

This was a good tweet:

[Jeevo]

....Jim will wrestle the wild anaconda, while marlin gets a closer look at a baboons red ass from the safety of his helicopter above.....

Haha, I remember the anaconda episode from when I was a kid. Jim and the other guy (guys?)weren’t looking so good for a while there as I recall.

[darkstar]

Feels like an A but always too soon to say at this point.

It looks like Spytek and Kubiak approached this draft with BPA as the priority over positional need, bypassing WRs and DTs until the very late rounds. Given the fact that the Raiders had so many needs and that rebuilding will be a multi-year process, this is the right strategy IMO

Looking forward to seeing improvement in 2026.

[Silva-N-Black]

Sooo is there a thread or really just an answer on what you believe our way too soon depth chart would be?

Would love to hear your thoughts.

[WNYRAIDER]

Haha, I remember the anaconda episode from when I was a kid. Jim and the other guy (guys?)weren’t looking so good for a while there as I recall.

....they looked 'weathered', to put it mildly......

[Hawkeyes]

You don’t have to wait three years to grade a draft. To me a draft grade is based on how well the team drafted with the information that was knowable at the time of the draft. Nobody can see the future and how good a player turns out to be is a separate question. For example,Mendoza could potentially be a bad NFL player, but Spytek still did the correct thing by drafting him.

I think Spytek gets an A. Lots of potential impact players, and everything made sense.

As a matter of fact this entire offseason outside of the kicker position has been logical, well executed, and run like a successful organization.

[SkullCrusher]

You don’t have to wait three years to grade a draft. To me a draft grade is based on how well the team drafted with the information that was knowable at the time of the draft.

Correct you can grade it at any time and naturally you get day after grades, it sells, it's fun.

Depending on the time since the draft it tells different stories.

But every draft I think the industry could serve us better with 1, 2, 3 and 5 year comprehensive draft grade updates.

[GoodTimeCharlie]

Correct you can grade it at any time and naturally you get day after grades, it sells, it's fun.

Depending on the time since the draft it tells different stories.

But every draft I think the industry could serve us better with 1, 2, 3 and 5 year comprehensive draft grade updates.

Yeah, it’s a shame where sports journalism has gone. Hot-take click-bait is what gets you paid. The Grade articles are like you said, they sell, they’re fun, but each and every one of the writers should have to update after 3 and 5 years. They can crow when they get it right, and more importantly, explain what they got wrong.

Probably never going to happen, but I’m old, I miss reading guys like Jim Murray of the LA Times and Paul Zimmerman of Sports Illustrated. Rest in peace gentlemen.

[LayneStaley]

Seems like everyone is in agreement.

[Viper]

You don’t have to wait three years to grade a draft. To me a draft grade is based on how well the team drafted with the information that was knowable at the time of the draft. Nobody can see the future and how good a player turns out to be is a separate question. For example,Mendoza could potentially be a bad NFL player, but Spytek still did the correct thing by drafting him.

I think Spytek gets an A. Lots of potential impact players, and everything made sense.

As a matter of fact this entire offseason outside of the kicker position has been logical, well executed, and run like a successful organization.

Totally agree. It felt like Kevin Costner was running point in the draft room for us from the movie Draft Day and I think Spy did as well as he could moving around the board like he did. Refreshing having a GM not trying to outsmart everyone else and picking players way out of position on boards. We basically started from ground zero and I believe we are much improved.