The Las Vegas Raiders made some eye-opening picks during the 2025 NFL draft, and the initial reviews on their incoming class have been mixed. Bruce Feldman of The Athletic certainly wasn't fond of some of their picks, and he even went as far to say that the team put together a draft class that looked like it was picked by their former owner Al Davis.

Despite having some glaring needs on the defensive side of the ball, the Raiders spent the majority of their picks on offense. While bringing in someone like Ashton Jeanty with the No. 6 overall pick makes sense, there were others that did not, with Feldman blasting the team's decision to select Tennessee wide receiver Dont'e Thornton Jr. in the fourth round.

“The most Al Davis-y pick of all was fourth-round WR Dont’e Thornton Jr. from Tennessee,” Feldman wrote for The Athletic. “He’s big at 6-4 and blazing fast (4.3 40), but he has inconsistent hands and a very limited route tree. He reminds coaches of Marquez Valdes-Scantling and that should at least help take the top of the defense off at times to help Brock Bowers and Ashton Jeanty.”

Raiders 2025 draft class receives worrying assessment

Related Las Vegas Raiders NewsArticle continues below
Las Vegas Raiders first round draft pick in the 2025 NFL Draft Ashton Jeanty, speaks to the media at Intermountain Health Performance Center.
Raiders’ Ashton Jeanty dishes on why he ‘dropped a bag’ to get No. 2 jersey
Boise State Broncos running back Ashton Jeanty (2) scores during the second half against the San Diego State Aztecs at Albertsons Stadium.
Raiders GM explains decision to draft Ashton Jeanty
Pete Carroll, Raiders
Raiders’ Pete Carroll reveals hopeful Tom Brady influence in 2025
Las Vegas Raiders head coach Pete Carroll at a news conference introducing Ashton Jeanty as the first round draft pick in the 2025 NFL Draft at Intermountain Health Performance Center.
Candice Ward-Imagn Images

Las Vegas selected several guys who could ultimately end up being game changers, but there are several holes on their roster, particularly on defense that could present issues for the team next season. Rather than drafting for need, the team seemed to focus on finding diamonds in the rough, which may not necessarily have been the best idea considering the state of their roster.

Maybe things will pan out the way the Raiders hope it will, but at first glance, it looks like they may not have shored up the remaining needs on their roster heading into the new campaign. Las Vegas certainly has a much more talented group of players at their disposal, particularly on offense, but whether that will lead to more wins in 2025 remains to be seen.