NFL Mock Draft: Analyst predicts Tom Brady's Raiders to draft 2024 Butkus Award winner "to be like Eagles"
The Las Vegas Raiders were smart in free agency. Instead of getting into a bidding war for veteran quarterbacks, the team solved one of their biggest needs by trading with the Seattle Seahawks for quarterback Geno Smith.
They have plenty of options for the 2025 draft. After a 4-13 record, the franchise knows that they have to improve the roster through all avenues. With the sixth overall pick, they'll have plenty of options on both sides of the ball.
In a recent mock draft by Bruce Feldman of The Athletic, the sixth overall pick is spent on Jalon Walker. He explains that the defensive end, who won the Butkus Award the past college football season, could help the Raiders build a strong defense front, just as the current champions, Philadelphia Eagles:
"I know there’s a lot of speculation that Vegas will take Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty, but Walker, the 2024 Butkus Award winner as the nation’s top linebacker, is too tempting to miss out on.
"His production, explosiveness and character have UGA and opposing coaches gushing. If the Raiders aspire to be like the Philadelphia Eagles, getting a game-wrecking defender from Georgia is a good place to start."
Feldman explained how Walker has played excellently in big games during the season, especially against NFL prospects who are considered first-round picks.
Who's the new coaching staff assembled by the Las Vegas Raiders?
The team hired legendary head coach Pete Carroll to stabilize the ship following years of turmoil. Jon Gruden left abruptly in 2021, and the hirings of Josh McDaniels and Antonio Pierce did not help.
The new general manager is John Spytek; Chip Kelly will be the offensive coordinator, arriving from Ohio State, while Patrick Graham will continue to run the defense, as he has done since 2022.
Apart from the hiring, Tom Brady started working as a minority owner, helping with the quarterback choice and free agent signings. Brady's influence will be diminished as a member of FOX, but he can help the franchise during the offseason, as it does not interfere with his analyst work.