The Raiders' Excitement Around the Draft Continues to Grow

With the NFL Draft just days away, the Las Vegas Raiders will likely soon select one of the best players in the draft. They hope a productive draft class and the addition of quarterback Geno Smith will spark an offense that was one of the worst in the league last season.

It remains unclear what the Raiders will do with the No. 6 pick, as they have several legitimate options. Their primary needs are along the offensive line and at cornerback, and they could use more depth along the defensive line, although that is a less critical need.

John Spytek was hired as the Raiders' general manager after spending many years helping the Tampa Bay Buccaneers assemble arguably the best roster in the NFC South over the last few years. However, this will be Spytek's first draft as a general manager.

He noted that while he is excited for the opportunity, his main concern is doing his job correctly.

“I mean, I'd be lying if I didn't say that this wasn't a dream come true. It certainly is. But the gravity of getting the picks right and having a great process and making sure that we communicate is really more important to me than anything else," Spytek said.

"I pride myself on being a team player. I don't think that this is about me at all. This is about the Raiders and the group of us people upstairs that want to put the best football team together for Raider Nation and for Mark Davis and all of the ownership group. And that's really my focal point.

The Raiders paired Spytek with Pete Carroll, who has decades of experience in the draft, both as a collegiate coach who sent players to the draft and as an NFL head coach who drafted players. Spytek values Carroll's presence.