The Las Vegas Raiders capped their 10-pick draft haul Saturday by selecting Arizona safety Dalton Johnson in the fifth round, pairing him with his best friend and former Wildcats teammate Treydan Stukes.
“I’m super excited,” Johnson said. “That’s my boy. We’re best friends. Being drafted is one thing, but being drafted to a team that I get to go somewhere with my best friend and continue this ‘Bear Down’ brotherhood, I’m super excited and ready to take that leadership and turn Las Vegas up.”
The Raiders had already taken Stukes, a cornerback, in the second round Friday. Assistant general manager Brian Stark’s prior relationship with Arizona head coach Brent Brennan provided inside intel on both players.
“It was a cool circumstance that they’re both from Arizona, and I would say we have a cool relationship with their head coach, too,” director of college scouting Brandon Yeargan said. “We had great information on those guys, and we had a pretty clear vision for both those players and affinity for them separately.”
Johnson was one of four defensive backs selected by the Raiders, along with fourth-rounder Jermod McCoy and fifth-rounder Hezekiah Masses. The team also added speed at offensive skill positions: Arkansas running back Mike Washington Jr. (4.33-second 40-yard dash) and Oregon wide receiver Malik Benson (4.37).
Washington will complement last year’s first-round pick Ashton Jeanty. “I’m super excited to get rolling with him,” Washington said. “All I can think of is thunder and lightning.”
The Raiders also addressed their defensive line by taking N.C. State nose tackle Brandon Cleveland, a run-stuffer for their new 3-4 scheme. “He’s a strong, heavy-handed player that plays the run well,” Yeargan said.
To acquire Johnson, the Raiders traded former top-10 pick Tyree Wilson to New Orleans. “We thought it’d be an awesome opportunity for him and an awesome opportunity for us,” vice president of player personnel Brandon Hunt said. “We wish him all the best.”
Overall, the Raiders made 10 selections after multiple trades, ending with the same number they started with. The front office compiled 3,926 player reports during the process. “I feel like today we won,” Hunt said. “Now it all starts on Thursday with rookie minicamp.”
