2024 draft class fits ‘Raiders DNA’

Assistant general manager Champ Kelly peels back the curtain on what front office was looking for in prospects

At any level and in any sport, we hear coaches talk all the time about establishing an identity within their team. For the Las Vegas Raiders, that identity has always been a collection of tough, rugged players who push the line of physicality and love the game.

Ahead of the 2024 NFL Draft, team captain Maxx Crosby essentially said that was the type of players he wanted the team to target, and Crosby wasn’t alone in that line of thinking.

“I think that’s extremely important,” assistant general manager Champ Kelly replied when asked how crucial it was for Las Vegas’ draftees to have that mentality and be football addicts. “And our scouts did a good job of going out and collecting information to find guys that are good teammates, that love the game of football, that fit what it is, the Raiders DNA.

“We were able to get three players in the draft that were captains at their school, that’s Brock [Bowers], Tommy Eichenberg, and [Dylan] Laube. So, that’s extremely important when you get those types of guys. Everyone has an extreme passion for the game. I think they’re going to be devoted to getting better and that’s all you can ask for them their first year.”

Kelly specifically mentions Eichenberg, who might embody what it means to be a Raider more than any of the franchise’s selections last month.

Not only did he famously play with two broken hands toward the end of the 2022 season, but he also showed a demeanor that would make Al Davis happy with a couple of quotes during his introductory press conference.

“Something that I told a lot of the teams [during the pre-draft process], is my love for the game is unmatched,” the former Ohio State linebacker said. “Like there’s nothing else I want to do right now in my life. It’s hard to turn it off, but I love the game. I mean, I’m always around it, always just trying to learn.

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“I mean, I can’t even name all the things I’ve done back in college that just revolved around football because I love the game so much. I love the dudes, I love the coaches, I love just everything that comes with it. So, I’m excited to just continue my journey.”

Eichenberg also touched on how he admires and shares a similar mentality with a couple of his new teammates. “I think that [Crosby and Robert Spillane are] really, really tough dudes that love the game of football and play really hard. And that’s something that I try to pride myself on, too. And it’s something I hope to add to this team.”

The last part of the fifth-round pick’s statement is what really stands out as he personifies a “team-first” mentality. While the Silver and Black selected three award-winners in the draft — Bowers, Jackson Powers-Johnson and Trey Taylor — the “we over me” approach was a requirement for the class.

“We didn’t necessarily go out to attack the National Award winners,” Kelly explained, “but production was important for us. Getting guys that would come in and contribute, that we’re selfless and understanding the team concept.

“I think that those were the things that kind of resonated as being important for us during this draft. And it just so happened that we had Rimington, [Thorpe] and Mackey award winners that we were able to draft, and that’s a testament to them. We’re excited to get them here and allow them to get acclimated into our environment.”

Only time will tell if Las Vegas’ eight 2024 draft picks were the right ones, but they certainly fit the brand that Davis began building for the organization back in the 1960s.