Once the Las Vegas Raiders decided on Tom Telesco as the team’s next general manager, he immediately improved the roster. Telesco added to the roster through free agency and the NFL Draft, and the Raiders added young talent at multiple critical positions on the football field.
Telesco’s track record of improving rosters helped him secure the general manager position in Las Vegas. The players the Raiders drafted this offseason showed Telesco and the Raiders' front office were aware of the team’s most significant roster needs as the team assembled a respectable draft class.
While the Raiders added multiple players through the draft who will undoubtedly need to be developed professionally, they also added a couple of players who are ready to be starters in the National Football League as rookies.
The draft went much differently than most people expected. Six quarterbacks were drafted before the Raiders’ selection at 13th overall, which pushed one of the most talented tight ends into the league right to the Raiders. The Raiders then selected one of the best offensive linemen in the draft in the second round.
Still, Aaron Schatz of ESPN ranks the Raiders' group of players under 25 as the second-worst in the National Football League. Schatz’s rankings are surprising, to say the least, as there is undoubtedly more than one team in the NFL with a worse group of players under 25 than the Raiders.
“The Raiders' top two young guys may be tight ends: 21-year-old first-round pick Brock Bowers and 23-year-old Michael Mayer,” Schatz said. “The offensive line also features some young talent, with 24-year-old Thayer Munford Jr. at right tackle and 21-year-old second-round rookie Jackson Powers-Johnson possibly starting at left guard.
“Running back Zamir White doesn't turn 25 until mid-September, barely making it to be counted for this list. With Josh Jacobs departing for Green Bay in the offseason, White will assume the starting role in 2024. Defensive lineman Tyree Wilson, the No. 7 overall pick in the 2023 draft, is 24 years old this season and may play on the edge, the interior, or both. He's coming off a disappointing rookie season where he had only 3.5 sacks and one forced fumble.”