The Las Vegas Raiders added eight players to their roster during the 2024 NFL Draft this past weekend in Detroit, but how many of those players will actually end up making an immediate impact as a starter in Year 1?
Of course, that's always hard to predict, as we simply don't know how quickly any of them will acclimate to the NFL. Typically, players taken later in the draft have a worse chance to find their way atop the depth chart, but that also depends on the strength of the position group they're in, as well as injuries.
With all that in mind, here's a look at four of the Raiders' draft picks who could conceivably be full-time starters in 2024.
Raiders draft picks with best chance to start
TE Brock Bowers
Bowers should make an immediate impact as a pass-catcher, and he has a variety of ways to do so. The Georgia product can work from in-line, but he also played significant snaps out of the slot during his college days, and even some out wide.
The only thing that could stop him from seeing the lion's share of snaps is his ability to block. Michael Mayer is lingering after showing some flashes during his rookie campaign and is a better blocker, so Mayer is Bowers' primary competition for in-line snaps when the Raiders use one tight end. However, I expect to see both on the field at the same time plenty.
G Jackson Powers-Johnson
Because of the uncertainty at one of the starting guard spots, Powers-Johnson may have the best chance of this group to be a full-time starter in 2024.
Dylan Parham figures to lock down one of the aforementioned spots, but the other will be up for grabs, with JPJ and veteran Cody Whitehair, who was signed in free agency, being the top candidates. The good news for Powers-Johnson is, he's already a good pass protector and run-blocker, thus he's got a great chance to make an immediate impact in the NFL.
OT Delmar Glaze
Along with JPJ, Glaze actually had a top-10 pass protection grade among this year's draft-eligible offensive linemen, showing he might be capable of being more than adequate in that area right away. However, the thing that might hold him back is his struggles in run-blocking, something our Dharya Sharma touched on when grading the pick.
Glaze's run-blocking leaves much to be desired, but the 21-year-old is solid in pass protection, allowing seven sacks in his entire collegiate career that spanned over 1,370 pass-blocking snaps.
The former three-star recruit posted an 80-plus pass-blocking grade in three of his four seasons at Maryland. However, despite his excellence in pass protection, Glaze looked out of sorts in the run game, struggling to execute and finish blocks at an above-average level.
That said, the competition for right tackle isn't exactly daunting. Glaze will have to beat out the current favorite, Thayer Munford, and Dalton Wagner to win the job. It can be done, although I'd lean toward that not happening in Glaze's first year.
CB Decamerion Richardson
Again, this is another position group that has a question mark at a starting spot, barring an addition in free agency. The Raiders have Jack Jones locking down one outside spot, and Nate Hobbs will take care of the slot. For the other side, Las Vegas has Jakorian Bennett and Brandon Facyson as two options, neither of whom are scary in terms of competition for a starting job.
RD 4 | PK 112 - Raiders: Decamerion Richardson CB, Mississippi State
— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) April 27, 2024
The @Raiders add the cornerback with the highest athleticism score (88) among his position group in this year's class to a pass defense that allowed the 2nd-highest expected completion percentage in 2023… pic.twitter.com/qudQp32Pl2
Richardson is raw and will need some work, but his athleticism is off the charts and that could help him land a starting job right away. But, as is the case with Glaze, I tend to believe that won't happen by Week 1, although I could see him moving up the depth chart by year's end.
What about the rest?
Linebacker Tommy Eichenberg, running back Dylan Laube and safety Trey Taylor are in position groups that have set starters, which is just one of many roadblocks for each. Cornerback M.J. Devonshire is a seventh-round pick and it's impossible to expect much from a player drafted that late. I expect Eichenberg will land a roster spot, but Laube, Taylor and Devonshire are not as certain.
