NFL Draft winners and losers: Aidan O’Connell, Gardner Minshew get confidence boost

Who benefitted the most from the draft?

Now that the 2024 NFL Draft is officially over, let’s dive into the Las Vegas Raiders winners and losers beyond the picks themselves. The Raiders added eight players over the three-day event and not a single one was a quarterback, leading us into the biggest benefactor(s) of the weekend.

WINNER: Aidan O’Connell/Gardner Minshew

As the title states, O’Connell and Minshew got a boost of confidence over the weekend as Las Vegas didn’t end up selecting a quarterback. That cements those two will battle it out for the starting job during training camp and won’t have to worry about a high draft pick beating them out.

Also, not only did the Raiders not use a first-rounder on a quarterback as many expected, but the front office managed to bring in a weapon for its current passers in Brock Bowers. The Georgia tight end was widely considered one of the best non-quarterbacks in this draft class and has impressive YAC skills that fit well with O’Connell’s and Minshew’s skillsets.

LOSER: Michael Mayer

On a similar note, while Mayer and Bowers can fit in Luke Getsy’s offense together with a lot of 12 personnel, there’s no denying that last year’s second-round pick won’t get as many targets as he would have before the Raiders used the 13th overall pick as Bowers.

Mayer only saw 37 targets as a rookie and was likely hoping to see that number increase in 2022. However, that will be more difficult now that there’s another mouth to feed at his position. Again, he still has a role on the offense but it’s likely going to be smaller than previously thought.

WINNER: Jack Jones/Brandon Facyson

Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images

The other benefactors of Tom Telesco going with a ‘best player available’ approach in the first round were Jones and Facyson. Heading into the draft, adding another starting-caliber corner was a potential target, but the Raiders didn’t address the position until Day 3.

That all but confirms those two will be the first-stringers heading into training camp, especially since Decamerion Richardson is widely considered a project and was the team’s highest-drafted player at the position.

LOSER: Cody Whitehair

While nothing is set in stone, Whitehair’s chances at starting took a major hit with Las Vegas spending a second-round pick on Jackson Powers-Johnson. The veteran was coming off a down year and the rookie has experience playing right guard.

Also, JPJ can line up at center, which he played exclusively this past season at Oregon, and position versatility was one of Whitehair’s competitive advantages. Now, he’ll have to rely on knowing Luke Getsy’s offense but that can only last for so long as the second-round pick, who many gave a Day 1 grade to, will likely be the favorite to earn the Week 1 starting job.

WINNER: Thayer Munford Jr.

On a related note, Las Vegas opting for an interior offensive lineman likely means Munford is sticking at right tackle and heading into training camp as the team’s starter. While they did spend a third-rounder on Delmar Glaze, who has taken snaps on the right edge, Glaze is more of a project and some feel is better suited on the inside in the NFL.

That’s good news for Munford who will go from seventh-round pick to likely starter heading into year three. He logged 10 starts last season and was a solid player with a 74.1 overall grade from Pro Football Focus. Now, he has the biggest opportunity of his young career.

LOSER: Divine Deablo

Yes, he was a fifth-round pick but make no mistake about it, Tommy Eichenberg was a quality pickup at that stage in the draft. He’s a physical run defender who fits Antonio Pierce’s mold.

While Deablo’s starting spot might not be up for grabs this season, he’s a free agent in the offseason and could end up being expendable if the Ohio State product shows off enough promise. This also puts pressure on the veteran as the rookie could take snaps away from him at the end of the season if he doesn’t step up.

WINNER: Tom Telesco

While some might complain about the quarterback situation, Telesco couldn’t buy what wasn’t for sale as the only trade that happened within the top 10 picks was the Vikings going from 11 to 10 with the Jets. Instead, the general manager let the draft board come to him and got excellent value with Bowers and then with Powers-Johnson in round two.

Adding a couple of projects in the third and fourth rounds, Eichenberg in the fifth and an intriguing weapon out of the backfield who could also serve as a returner, Dylan Laube, in the final stages of the draft makes for a pretty good weekend. In my opinion, this was a strong first draft for Telesco as the Raiders’ GM.