The Las Vegas Raiders have made it known that they like a few of the top prospects in the 2025 NFL Draft. We've known about some of their infatuation with Ashton Jeanty, Shedeur Sanders, and others, but things could drastically change now.
The idea of who the Raiders are going to pick at No. 6 has pretty consistently been an offensive player. That's the side of the ball they need the most help with, as last year they had one of the worst offenses in the league. And their defense was in the top half of the league. That's not to say that they don't need defense, because they do, but it feels like the priority has been on the offensive side of the ball.
But two new developments would argue that they could go defensive. The Raiders are actively trying to trade away starting cornerback Jack Jones, which could mean that they would be open to taking a cornerback at No. 6. That means guys like Travis Hunter, Jahdae Barron, and even Will Johnson could be an option.
But also, the Raiders could be interested in Michigan defensive tackle Mason Graham, who could fall to the Raiders at No. 6. Right now, it really feels like the Jacksonville Jaguars will be the team to take Graham, but if not, the Raiders want to be prepared.
According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, the Raiders are set to meet with Graham on Tuesday. Now, this could be an interesting meeting considering John Spytek and Tom Brady are both Michigan guys. Seeing a player who helped win their Alma mater a championship could be huge.
Meeting with a prospect does not mean that the prospect will be drafted by that team. In fact, that is the last thing you should think. Instead, it does mean that the team may have some interest in that player.
Teams know what’s on a player's tape — they watch all the tape. But they don’t know really anything about the personality of the player. This is for that, as well as to see if that player even fits the culture they are building.
So, we will see what happens, but I wouldn’t worry too much about a meeting with a player — it doesn’t guarantee anything. The Raiders have a very important decision coming up.
