'Mentality' Was a Big Emphasis for Raiders in 2024 NFL Draft

The Las Vegas Raiders made it clear all offseason that they would be looking to draft prospects who fit the Raider mold, the hard-work, blue-collar mentality.

For Raiders general manager Tom Telesco, it wasn't just about the talent or the awards when he was evaluating players in this draft class. It was their mentality that would ultimately set them apart from the rest.

"When you look at our head coach [Antonio Pierce] and what he's looking for and his mentality, you got to kind of match that and fit that culture," Telesco said after the 2024 NFL Draft had concluded. "And we feel like most of these guys have that. And I bet even some of the phone calls when you guys talked to the players, you could probably feel that already and you haven't even seen them yet. So, our guys feel the same thing. Our scouts who are on the road, they not only have to look at the football player between the white lines but everything else about the person that goes into it, and most of these guys fit those traits."

Telesco felt his club was successful in that endeavor with this draft class.

"[W]e're always looking for the same thing with all these guys as far as the work ethic, the preparation and the drive and desire to be great players," he said. "So, they all have to have that whether it's Brock Bowers all the way down to M.J. Devonshire in the seventh round. So, just trying to find players that fit the identity of the Raiders, how we play and the identity of our head coach, so that was the goal."

Pierce said at the NFL Owners' Meetings last month that he felt a responsibility to protect the culture the Raiders had established, and that meant bringing in the right guys.

"I'm the guardian at the gate," Pierce said. "Not letting any evil come through that building, not happening.

"Because that's important, man. Like, what we were able to do at the end of the season, what we're doing right now -- I know you guys are not in the building -- it looks different. It looks different, I can tell you that.

"The players are protective of it. They want to know what coach you're bringing in, if you're bringing in someone from ops or media or wherever. We're checking badges, we're checking resumes, we're checking how you are. That's important to us.

"I said it probably several times now: Being a Raider is different. Being a Raider as me as the head coach is going to be really different. And we want that fit to be perfect."

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