The Las Vegas Raiders’ biggest problem wasn’t the coach or the quarterback—it was owner Mark Davis’s inability to navigate the draft effectively. Over the past five years, the franchise has made several mistakes, reaching the playoffs just once during this stretch.

Whether it was drafting Henry Ruggs III, Damon Arnette, or even JaMarcus Russell, all later turned out to be among the worst picks—either due to poor performance or ethical concerns. Additionally, in 2018, when the team suffered a disastrous start with a 1-8 record, Tom Brady’s business partner acknowledged his mistake.

“I always look in the mirror, and the buck stops with me. Where this team is right now is my fault… We failed from 2014 on to have a roster right now.” This statement continues to be in the limelight till now for Mark Davis’s Raiders, even when Tom Brady has been on the decision-making side since 2024.

While reflecting on past missteps in the team’s draft decisions, Mark Davis openly admitted his mistakes once again on Monday. He stated, “I just didn’t get it right. That’s all there is to it.” At least he didn’t sugarcoat his past failures—including the selections of Henry Ruggs III, Damon Arnette, and even five additional opportunities to get it right. In 2020, the Raiders had three extra third-round picks and two in the fourth, but, as expected, those selections did little to improve their overall draft success.

For instance, in the third round, Tom Brady’s partner took Lynn Bowden Jr. at No. 80 and Bryan Edwards right after at No. 81. The plan was to convert Bowden, a college quarterback turned receiver, into a running back. But instead of adding depth, it felt like they were just stacking similar talents without a clear plan. Besides this, fast forward to the present, we can’t let go of some other blunders of this offseason too.

We all know that this year, the Raiders saw a massive overhaul in their roster. They parted ways with players like safety Tre’von Moehrig, linebacker Robert Spillane, and cornerback Nate Hobbs. Although they brought in a solution, such as Geno Smith, to fix their long-time QB issue, the team still has many gaps. The holes are in positions like receiver, running back, offensive tackle, linebacker, cornerback, and safety.

Simply acknowledging the truth won’t be enough to fix the gaps in the Raiders’ future. That’s likely why Mark Davis brought in Pete Carroll as the new head coach—to make solid offseason decisions alongside TB12, who joined the Raiders in October last year. And it’s also why the owner believes this April will finally be their draft year.

Does Mark Davis have faith in Tom Brady and other decision-makers?

While grabbing a good bite of a large stone crab claw, Mark Davis smiled and said, “I say it every year, this is my favorite time — we are undefeated.” Perhaps the waves of the Atlantic Ocean, right to him, gave him a cooling sensation to express his emotions at the April 2025 NFL Draft. But of course, the Atlantic wasn’t just the reason behind him saying that.

This time, Mark Davis is trusting Tom Brady, now a minority owner, to help guide the franchise. Moreover, Pete Carroll, a Super Bowl-winning coach, brings experience and energy. And yeah, John Spytek, the new GM, is handling roster decisions. So, Davis is excited. He even joked with Carroll about teaching the Raiders’ cornerbacks to play as aggressively as Seattle’s legendary Legion of Boom. And guess what? That squad might come up this year because of Carroll’s major decisions.

The Raiders are coming off a brutal 4-13 season. A Super Bowl? Probably not. But relevance? That’s the goal. Like Kevin Garnett said, via the NFL, “Anything is possible.” For co-owner Mark Davis, it’s like–“You always want to compete, but you have to be honest. Are we going to win the Super Bowl this year? I don’t know … it’s possible.” The 2025 offseason is going to be exciting. For the first time, Tom Brady will show what he can do in decision-making draft sessions!