The Las Vegas Raiders still have plenty of work to do in the NFL draft.
General manager John Spytek has added two offensive players and two defensive players over the first two days of the draft and will now be tasked with trying to identify late-round gems with the team’s final six picks on Saturday when the event resumes at 9 a.m.
Spytek plans to meet with his staff, including assistant general manager Brian Stark, late into the evening to reset the draft board and prepare for an early start.
The Raiders will have the second pick of the fourth round, the 102nd overall selection, shortly after the clock restarts.
“We’ll be off and running with the second pick,” Spytek said. “We’re just going to keep trying to identify the really good football players that want to be Raiders and lay it on the line for their teammates.
“We’ve got six picks left tomorrow, and we’re thrilled and excited about that challenge and that opportunity.”
Stark said the process will be collaborative with many voices coming together to form a consensus on the remaining available players that will best help the organization move forward.
“There’s a group of us who will be in there together and we’ve all watched a lot of these guys independently and together as a group,” Stark said. “John’s great about encouraging everyone to speak up and everyone’s confident about giving their opinions on the players. What it does is allows (Spytek) to hear us work through the differences we saw in a player and he can compare it to his vision of the player and it really allows us to come to a consensus to where we have an understanding of their value compared to other players and how they fit on our roster.”
The Raiders already addressed their biggest need at quarterback of the future by taking Fernando Mendoza on Thursday.
They added a versatile defensive back, offensive lineman and defensive end on Friday.
The biggest remaining needs are probably at wide receiver, offensive tackle, defensive tackle and cornerback.
Here are some potential options the Raiders could look at on Saturday:
Wide receiver
Remaining: Elijah Sarratt, Indiana; Deion Burks, Oklahoma; Skyler Bell, Connecticut; Bryce Lance, North Dakota State; Kevin Coleman, Missouri; Brenen Thompson, Mississippi State; Jeff Caldwell, Cincinnati; Malik Benson, Oregon; Josh Cameron, Baylor; Colbie Young, Georgia
Analysis: Sarratt is probably the most fun in this group. He was one of Mendoza’s favorite receivers with the Hoosiers on their undefeated run to a national championship, and the chemistry is undeniable. He’s close to the prototype of the big receiver this offense may need, and there is no doubt it would be a great gift to the team’s new quarterback. Lance, the younger brother of Chargers quarterback Trey Lance, has elite size and speed. He needs to expand his route tree and cut down on the drops, but he’s intriguing. Caldwell is very raw but has blazing speed at 6-foot-5. Young may be the best fit if the Raiders are indeed trying to find a physical receiver who can make contested catches.
Defensive tackle
Remaining: Zxavian Harris, Mississippi; Gracen Halton, Oklahoma; Darrell Jackson Jr., Florida State; DeMonte Capehart, Florida State; Rayshaun Benny, Michigan; Zane Durant, Penn State; Bryson Eason, Tennessee; Nick Barrett, South Carolina; Cameron Ball, Arkansas; Kaleb Proctor, SE Louisiana
Analysis: Harris is a giant in the middle of the defense and can be a real disruptor even though he’s not a true nose tackle the Raiders may be looking for right now. Jackson fits that mold better. Capehart can wreck the middle of an offensive line and has the explosion to get better as a pass rusher.
Offensive tackle
Remaining: Demetrious Crownover, Texas A&M; Drew Shelton, Penn State; Jude Bowry, Boston College; Kage Casey, Boise State; Isaiah World, Oregon; Travis Burke, Memphis; Diego Pounds, Mississippi; Carver Willis, Washington; Fa’alili Fa’amoe, Wake Forest; Enrique Cruz Jr., Kansas
Analysis: Crownover could be appealing to the Raiders because he is a fluid mover whose run blocking is ahead of his pass protection. Shelton could be a good fit in Klint Kubiak’s offense because of his speed to kick outside in the run game. Casey is a friend and former teammate of running back Ashton Jeanty.
Cornerback
Remaining: Jermod McCoy, Tennessee; Keionte Scott, Miami; Malik Muhammad, Texas; Keith Abney, Arizona State; Will Lee III, Texas A&M; Devin Moore, Florida; Chandler Rivers, Duke; Charles Demmings, Stephen F. Austin; Ephesians Prysock, Washington; Domani Jackson, Alabama
Analysis: McCoy remains the biggest story of this draft. He’s a top-10 talent, perhaps even top five. But there were questions about his medicals entering the draft and those reports are clearly worse than many believed. A team is going to take a swing at him at some point and it may end up being a home run. Could that be the Raiders? Muhammad is a great scheme fit and is far more substance than flash at a position known for the opposite.
Contact Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AdamHillLVRJ on X.
