On the second day of the 2024 NFL Draft, the Raiders added two big boys to the trenches in guard Jackson Powers-Johnson (Oregon) and tackle DJ Glaze (Maryland).
As Day 2 wrapped up, General Manager Tom Telesco met with the media to recap the picks and look to Day 3. Read through for some of the top takeaways from his press conference.
- All three of the Raiders’ draft picks so far are 21 years old. While Telesco and crew aren’t necessarily only looking to find the youngest players available, there’s definitely an advantage to the growth potential: “At the college level, if you’re a younger player, you’re playing against older guys sometimes and if you can hold your own against those guys, you get to this league. This is the big boy league. You just hope there’s more growth there. … They have to put in the work ethic and we have the coaches here to develop and teach them. It’s a journey for these guys. Hopefully they’re going to have long careers. It’s nice that these three guys can kind of grow together.”
- With a deep offensive line class, there has seemed to be a premium on tackles throughout the first three rounds of the draft as eight tackles were taken in the first round alone. Telesco and Pierce were aligned in wanting to fortify the offensive line, and they feel Friday’s picks, being the best players available in the trenches, are the guys for the job. “They’re so hard to find and typically, you’re drafting them high,” Telesco said. “There aren’t very many people that have that type of size and football intelligence and work ethic and feet. They’re just really hard to find across the league.”
- When assessing players, especially offensive linemen, Telesco highly values versatility – which both Powers-Johnson and Glaze possess having been moved around on the line in college. “If you’re not a starter – if you’re six, seven or eight or even nine in the offensive line room, if you can only play one position, it’s really hard to get you dressed on Sundays,” the GM said. “Guards have to be able to play tackle or center, tackles have to be able to play guard. It just helps your flexibility. We all know, the group you start with, injuries are going to happen and your guys are going to have to be able to move [to] different spots.”
- Oregon’s Powers-Johnson was projected to potentially go in the first round, and when he was available for the Raiders at No. 44, it was the perfect outcome in Telesco’s eyes. “That was one where we felt like the best talent there lined up with we wanted to add to the offensive line. That was the perfect combination. It doesn’t always work like that.”
- As the league heads into Day 3 of the draft, Telesco outlined a few traits he’ll be looking for when making the remaining five Silver and Black picks: “You’re still looking for some traits that you think could be a potential starter down the road, fully knowing that most of these guys aren’t going to walk into a starting job. … In Day 3, as far as the character, intangible part, that’s the same as every other round but we are looking for some traits that we think, ‘Hey, he’ll have a role short-term, but we think he may have a couple traits that could lead to be a starter down the road.”
The final day of the draft (Rounds 4-7) kicks off Saturday at 9 a.m. PT, airing on ABC, ESPN and NFL Network.
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Draft signage around Detroit the day before the start of the 2024 NFL Draft.
Michael Clemens/Las Vegas Raiders
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Draft signage around Detroit the day before the start of the 2024 NFL Draft.
Michael Clemens/Las Vegas Raiders
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Draft signage around Detroit the day before the start of the 2024 NFL Draft.
Michael Clemens/Las Vegas Raiders
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Las Vegas Raiders signage at the main stage in Campus Martius Park the day before the start of the 2024 NFL Draft.
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Signage at the main stage in Campus Martius Park the day before the start of the 2024 NFL Draft.
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A view of the main stage in Campus Martius Park the day before the start of the 2024 NFL Draft.
Michael Clemens/Las Vegas Raiders
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Signage at the main stage in Campus Martius Park the day before the start of the 2024 NFL Draft.
Michael Clemens/Las Vegas Raiders
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Signage at the main stage in Campus Martius Park the day before the start of the 2024 NFL Draft.
Michael Clemens/Las Vegas Raiders
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Draft signage around Detroit the day before the start of the 2024 NFL Draft.
Michael Clemens/Las Vegas Raiders
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Draft signage around Detroit the day before the start of the 2024 NFL Draft.
Michael Clemens/Las Vegas Raiders
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Draft signage around Detroit the day before the start of the 2024 NFL Draft.
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Fox Theater the day before the start of the 2024 NFL Draft.
Michael Clemens/Las Vegas Raiders
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Draft signage in front of Fox Theater the day before the start of the 2024 NFL Draft.
Michael Clemens/Las Vegas Raiders
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The red carpet inside of Fox Theater the day before the start of the 2024 NFL Draft.
Michael Clemens/Las Vegas Raiders
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Draft signage around Detroit the day before the start of the 2024 NFL Draft.
Michael Clemens/Las Vegas Raiders
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Las Vegas Raiders fans arrive to the 2024 NFL Draft.
Michael Clemens/Las Vegas Raiders
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Las Vegas Raiders fans arrive to the 2024 NFL Draft.
Michael Clemens/Las Vegas Raiders
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Alabama cornerback Terrion Arnold arrives to the 2024 NFL Draft.
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Alabama edge Dallas Turner arrives to the 2024 NFL Draft.
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USC quarterback Caleb Williams arrives to the 2024 NFL Draft.
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Alabama offensive lineman J.C. Latham arrives to the 2024 NFL Draft.
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Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. arrives to the 2024 NFL Draft.
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UCLA edge Laiatu Latu arrives to the 2024 NFL Draft.
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LSU wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. arrives to the 2024 NFL Draft.
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North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye arrives to the 2024 NFL Draft.
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Missouri edge Darius Robinson arrives to the 2024 NFL Draft.
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LSU wide receiver Malik Nabers arrives to the 2024 NFL Draft.
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Washington wide receiver Rome Odunze arrives to the 2024 NFL Draft.
Michael Clemens/Las Vegas Raiders
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LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels arrives to the 2024 NFL Draft.
Michael Clemens/Las Vegas Raiders
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Big Sean performs before the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft.
Jeff Lewis/Associated Press
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Big Sean performs before the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft.
Paul Sancya/Associated Press
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Big Sean performs before the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft.
Alika Jenner/2024 Alika Jenner
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Fans before the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft.
Alika Jenner/2024 Alika Jenner
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Host Colleen Wolfe before the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft.
Jeff Roberson/Associated Press
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Host Colleen Wolfe before the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft.
Jeff Roberson/Associated Press
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Singer Angela Davis sings “Lift Every Voice and Sing” before the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft.
Jeff Roberson/Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved
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Top prospects stand on stage before the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft.
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Eminem speaks during the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft.
Jeff Roberson/Associated Press
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NFL commissioner Roger Goodell speaks during the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft.
Jeff Roberson/Associated Press
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Las Vegas Raiders Head Coach Antonio Pierce in the draft room on day 1 of the 2024 NFL Draft at Intermountain Health Performance Center.
Matt Aguirre/Las Vegas Raiders
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Las Vegas Raiders General Manager Tom Telesco in the draft room on day 1 of the 2024 NFL Draft at Intermountain Health Performance Center.
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Georgia tight end Brock Bowers is selected 13th overall by the Las Vegas Raiders in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Michael Clemens/Las Vegas Raiders
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Georgia tight end Brock Bowers is selected 13th overall by the Las Vegas Raiders in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Michael Clemens/Las Vegas Raiders
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Las Vegas Raiders fans during the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft.
Jeff Lewis/Associated Press
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Las Vegas Raiders fans during the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft.
Jeff Lewis/Associated Press
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Fans during the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft.
Alika Jenner/2024 Alika Jenner
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Fans during the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft.
Alika Jenner/2024 Alika Jenner
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Las Vegas Raiders alumnus Jim Plunkett prepares to announce the Raiders 44th overall pick during the 2024 NFL Draft.
Jeff Roberson/Associated Press
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Las Vegas Raiders alumnus Jim Plunkett announces that guard Jackson Powers-Johnson is selected 44th overall by the Raiders in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Alika Jenner/2024 Alika Jenner
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Maryland tackle DJ Glaze is selected 77th overall by the Las Vegas Raiders in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Alika Jenner/2024 Alika Jenner