Draft winners and losers: Kelly gets plenty of weapons

Who benefited from the draft and who is on the hot seat?

After months of preparation and three long days, the 2025 NFL Draft is in the books. The Las Vegas Raiders had an eventful weekend, making a handful of trades and selecting 11 players in total. Each pick has a significant impact on the roster and the Raiders’ outlook moving forward, so let’s dive into a few winners and losers from the draft.

WINNER: Chip Kelly

Starting at the top with running back Ashton Jeanty, the Raiders surprisingly went heavy on the offensive players during the draft. Seven picks were on that side of the ball, and defensive tackle J.J. Pegues can be used as a short-yardage back/fullback, too. In the passing game, Las Vegas also added a contested catch threat in Jack Bech, a 6-foot-5 field stretcher in Dont’e Thornton Jr., and a quarterback-wide receiver convert in Tommy Mellott. That gives Kelly plenty of weapons to play with as offensive coordinator.

LOSER: Run Defense

On the other end of the spectrum, Las Vegas did very little to improve its run defense. Nose tackle is still a big question mark, and the front office didn’t address the vacancy at linebacker until their last pick of the draft. That could make stopping the run a difficult task for defensive coordinator Patrick Graham.

WINNER: Devin White

White and linebackers Amari Burney, Amari Gainer and Tommy Eichenberg were the beneficiaries of the Silver and Black not addressing the second level of the defense until the seventh round. Heading into training camp, there’s an open competition for the second starting spot next to Elandon Roberts, and White is the presumptive favorite to win that job. Also, Raider fans who wanted the team to draft the LSU product over Clelin Ferrell in 2019 are winners. Six years later, they may finally get their wish with White starting on the Silver and Black’s defense.

LOSER: Matthew Butler

Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images

Butler was on thin ice before the draft, and Las Vegas adding two defensive tackles over the weekend certainly doesn’t help his case. The meeting room is getting crowded with Tonka Hemingway and Pegues now in the mix, making for a tight competition on the depth chart at 3-technique. That creates an uphill battle for Butler to make the roster heading into his fourth season.

WINNER: Thomas Harper

Despite losing Tre’von Moehrig, Nate Hobbs and Marcus Epps during free agency, John Spytek and company didn’t add a nickel corner or free safety in the draft. That benefits Harper, who can fill in at either of those spots. The Notre Dame product who was cut by the Los Angeles Chargers at the end of training camp last season now has a clear path to see the field for the Raiders this fall.

LOSER: Kristian Wilkerson

Wilkerson is about to enter his third season with the club and had a chance to earn the third wide receiver spot on the depth chart since the Raiders were thin at the position before this weekend. However, after using second- and fourth-round picks on Bech and Thornton as well as a sixth-rounder on Mellott (who will convert to wideout), those odds significantly decreased for Wilkerson. Now, the veteran receiver will be fighting for a roster spot during training camp, if he isn’t let go beforehand.

WINNER: Leki Fotu

As mentioned above, it’s surprising that the Raiders didn’t use a draft pick on a nose tackle given the team’s need. But that’s good news for Fotu as he’s the only true nose tackle on the roster. That gives the veteran run defender a chance to start this season after only appearing in two games with the New York Jets a year ago.

LOSER: Dalton Wagner

Wagner is about to enter his third season in Las Vegas and has a chance to lock down a backup tackle role during training camp. Considering Kolton Miller and Thayer Munford Jr. are entering contract years, that boded well for the former undrafted free agent’s future with the club. However, the Raiders spent back-to-back third-round picks on offensive tackles Caleb Rogers and Charles Grant. While Rogers is expected to move to guard, Wagner will at least have to compete with Grant for a backup tackle spot this year. That’s going to be an uphill battle for Wagner as he’s likely on the chopping block moving forward.