Raiders 2025: Roster check

What’s left to do after NFL draft?

The Las Vegas did a lot of work, selecting 11 draft picks (the most by the franchise in 18 years) in the 2025 NFL draft.

They worked on filling some holes, but there are also some areas that to be filled. Let’s look each area stands at the moment:

Quarterback:

The Raiders didn’t trade former starter Aidan O’Connell and drafted small-school player Cam Miller in the sixth round. Things can change later in the summer, but it seems like the team is OK with Geno Smith as the starter with O’Connell as the backup and Miller being a third quarterback.

Running back:

This was a huge need and now it’s not with the selection of Boise State star Ashton Jeanty at the No. 6 overall pick. Jeanty will be a major focal point of this offense. They may tinker behind him in the summer, but free-agent addition Raheem Mostert and players like Sincere McCormick, Zamir White and Dylan Laube will vie to stick around on the 53-man roster.

Photo by Don Juan Moore/Getty Images

Wide receiver:

The Raiders’ objective was to add youth here and they did with Jack Bech in the second round, Dont’e Thornton in the fourth and Tommy Mellott in the sixth. Bech and Thornton should certainly make the team and Mellott could make it as well. They join starter Jakobi Meyers and Tre Tucker who make compete with Thornton and even Mellott for playing time. Tucker was the only wide receiver of note on the roster who is signed for 2026, so the influx of young players was needed. They could add a veteran like Keenan Allen, but this year will be about developing young players at the position.

Tight end:

It’s the Brock Bowers show with Michael Mayer and free-agent addition Ian Thomas behind them. Unless the new regime doesn’t believe in Mayer, they should be set here.

Offensive line:

New Las Vegas general manager John Spytek told us he likes drafting offensive linemen and he worked two trades to help draft two players at the end of the third round, Caleb Rogers and Charles Grant. Perhaps one of the can push to play this season, but they are players the Raiders feel like can be starters in the future. The Raiders have veterans they feel good about now they just want to see how it shakes out in the interior offensive line with Jackson Powers-Johnson, Dylan Parham, Jordan Meredith and Alex Cappa competing for three spots. A lot will shake out here in training camp, but I wouldn’t expect a fury of additions, not soon anyway. A potential wild card is the contract situation for left tackle Kolton Miller. So that is something to monitor.

Defensive line:

The Raiders added two defensive tackles, Tonka Hemingway and JJ Pegues on Day 3. They are developmental players, but both should make the team. They didn’t do much at defensive end. So, they need to hope they have some good health. There could be some depth tinkering on the line in the coming months.

Linebacker:

The Raiders seem fine with veterans Elandon Roberts and Devin White, who both signed one-year deals, as the replacements for free-agent departures Robert Spillane and Divine Deablo. They drafted Cody Lindenberg in the last round, but he shouldn’t counted on as a rookie. The Raiders will likely look to add depth here through the preseason and they need to hope the veterans stay healthy.

Photo by Keith Gillett/IconSportswire

Secondary:

The Raiders could have been more aggressive here, but their big move this weekend was Iowa State cornerback Darien Porter in the third round. He is a big, long cornerback, just the way coach Pete Carroll likes them. But he is a developmental player. Expect the Raiders to look for some nickel help and they could still use more depth at cornerback and at safety. Free-agent cornerback Mike Hilton could make sense.