The Las Vegas Raiders had a long wait before their draft could begin. Like many others who swing a blockbuster trade, sending out their top picks, they likely opted to watch Davante Adams highlights on the first day of the draft instead. Still, when general manager Dave Ziegler finally did make his first selection of the three-day event, they were able to get good value at pick No. 90 with Dylan Parham.
How did the Raiders do with the rest of their draft picks? Here we grade their class as a whole from the 2022 NFL Draft.
Dylan Parham addresses an immediate need at No. 90
Hoping to supplement the kickass offense the Raiders have carefully built this offseason, they took to the draft to add some more pieces. With their first pick, they took offensive guard Dylan Parham, who offers positional versatility having played both tackle and guard at Memphis. Parham should be able to immediately compete for a starting role at right guard and possibly at center thanks to his expansive experience.
Parham is an immediate upgrade in the trenches and he comes at a low cost in the third round, right where he was expected to land. As Raiders columnist Moe Moton noted, Parham didn’t even allow a sack across 511 pass-blocking snaps in 2021. Derek Carr should be a happy camper.
Related: Las Vegas Raiders complete trade, choose Dylan Parham on Day 2 of NFL Draft
Looking at the rest of the Raiders 2022 NFL Draft picks
- Zamir White, RB, Georgia – Round 4, pick 122 – The Raiders have their RB1 with Josh Jacobs, but he’s entering the final year of his rookie contract. Behind him are speedsters Kenyan Drake and Ameer Abdullah. Zamir White gives them another powerful runner who has burst, similar to Jacobs.
- Neil Farrell, DT, LSU – Round 4, pick 126 – Farrell is a big body (6-foot-4, 330 lbs) who doesn’t move well, but he can take on blockers as a nose tackle. He should be able to offer immediate help in a situational role in run-stopping situations.
- Matthew Butler, DT, Tennessee – Round 5, pick 175 – Butler has a little more pass-rush pep than Farrell, but not much. His strength is what helps him win one-on-one battles, where he’s impactful against the run. Again, not a bad pick to help form a wall in the middle of the defensive front.
- Thayer Munford Jr., G/T, Ohio State – Round 7, pick 238 – The Raiders clearly valued versatility out of their offensive linemen in this class, and Munford is no different. His best position may be as a tackle, but they announced him as a guard. If he keeps working on his technique, Munford could be a contributor in short order.
- Brittain Brown, RB, UCLA – Round 7, pick 250 – Brown is a hard-nosed runner who models his game after Adrian Peterson. He may not have the same long speed as AP, but he does run with power.
What are you going to do with just one pick in the top 100? They had a tough hill to climb, but no one is complaining about adding Davante Adams. They will gladly walk away from the draft knowing they improved their chances of giving Carr solid protection, helping in the running game while adding to the trenches on defense as well. It’s not a haul by any means but they could have done worse. This grade does not factor in the Adams trade, if it did, it would be an A.
- Las Vegas Raiders 2022 NFL Draft grade: C
Related: 2022 NFL Draft tracker: Grading each pick with live updates