3 best moves the Raiders made in the NFL Draft

The Raiders did a poor job of finding value in the 2021 NFL Draft, but these three players have a chance to emerge as valuable contributors for Las Vegas. 

Raiders fans should be disappointed in the work their team’s front office did during the 2021 NFL Draft. Las Vegas regularly reached for players that could have been acquired in later rounds. It’s one thing to trust your board over everyone else’s evaluations, but it’s an entirely different matter to squander multiple opportunities to trade back and acquire more picks.

That doesn’t mean no members of this year’s Raiders’ draft class have a chance to emerge as quality NFL players. There are some potential bright spots in this grim group of rookies heading to Sin City.

3 best picks by the Raiders in the 2021 NFL Draft

This piece will identify three potential wins for the Raiders in what should be considered one of the worst draft classes of the year. Las Vegas fans can think of it as a ray of hope during a dark time for their favorite franchise.

3. Alex Leatherwood

The Raiders didn’t need to spend the No. 17 overall pick to land Leatherwood. It’s unlikely any other team would have grabbed him in the first round. In fact, taking Leatherwood at 17 might be the biggest reach of Round 1.

Despite that ugly reality, it’s still very likely that Leatherwood will be an immediate starter for Las Vegas. His future probably lies inside at guard and he’s got the right combination of power and speed to become an above-average starter in time.

Watch for the Raiders to try Leatherwood at tackle during the preseason before kicking him inside. Then he’ll start double-digit games and Gruden will tout him as a Draft Day success. Ignore that narrative, he’s a bad pick even if he becomes a quality starter.