HENDERSON, Nev. -- Las Vegas Raiders general manager John Spytek was up front. After he and the Raiders' staff pieced together an 11-player draft class, the largest by the franchise since 2007, Spytek admitted hours spent inside the war room took a toll on him.
Over the three-day period, highlighted by taking running back Ashton Jeanty at No. 6, the Raiders got a clearer picture of how the offense will look in Year 1 of the Pete Carroll era.
"I'm tired. No, it was special," Spytek said. "... Whatever it took to make the Raiders better, that was what the room was about, and I felt like we did that. So, it was the first of hopefully many, but it certainly was a special one."
The Raiders drafted six offensive players in an attempt to build more support around new quarterback Geno Smith. Among the group, Jeanty and wide receiver Jack Bech are in line to have major roles as rookies.
Las Vegas made Jeanty the first running back to be taken inside the top six since 2018. The Raiders didn't do that with the expectation of him playing behind Raheem Mostert, Zamir White or Sincere McCormick.
The Raiders want their offensive identity to be the run game, and Jeanty will be the determining factor of how successful they will be. His presence alone is an upgrade from last year, when Las Vegas averaged a league-low 3.6 yards per carry.
Carroll's eye for running backs provides optimism that Jeanty can make a solid impact in Las Vegas. He coached Heisman Trophy winner Reggie Bush at USC. In Seattle, he watched Marshawn Lynch rush for 1,000-plus yards in four straight seasons and lead the league in rushing touchdowns twice. Kenneth Walker III, a second-round pick, rushed for 1,050 yards as a rookie in 2022.
Carroll said Jeanty is a special player because the Heisman finalist can do it all. He can run with power, find the necessary space to make big plays, and he's hard to bring down. Jeanty totaled 1,733 yards after contact. The Raiders had 634 yards after contact last season, third fewest in the NFL.
Carroll said having a strong run game will force defenses to focus on that area of the offense, which will take the pressure off Smith while opening the door for offensive coordinator Chip Kelly to do his "magic."
"And that's the play-action game," Carroll said. "It's all of the stuff that comes off of the run game and doesn't draw any focus on the quarterback. ... We're trying to make it easier on the quarterback, because his job is the hardest in professional sports. So, this is the key way to get that done."
Another part of improving Smith's supporting cast was taking Bech at No. 58 after trading back twice to do so. Given the depth at wide receiver, Bech will compete for a starting role right away. Jakobi Meyers, Tre Tucker and Kyle Philips, who didn't play in 2024, are the only wide receivers with more than 10 career receptions.
The Las Vegas Raiders select TCU WR Jack Bech, whose brother Tiger was killed in the New Orleans terror attack on New Year's Day.
Bech plays with a toughness that Carroll values in players. More importantly, he provides inside-and-out flexibility and can make plays in traffic. In his final season at TCU, Bech had 17 contested catches and dropped only three passes.
"He's tough as you get as a receiver," Carroll said. "We'll find [a] spot for him, but we see him as versatile and we're counting on him to do a number of things."
The Raiders double-dipped at wide receiver, taking Tennessee standout Dont'e Thornton Jr. in the fourth round and Tommy Mellott in the sixth. Thornton provides speed and big-play ability despite having a limited route tree. Even though Mellott played quarterback in college (Montana State), he's expected to be a wideout at the next level.
While Bech could be an immediate contributor, Thornton and Mellott are developmental players in the wide receiver room. Still, the new additions shouldn't prevent Las Vegas from adding another veteran wideout through free agency. Players such as Keenan Allen and Amari Cooper are available if Las Vegas wanted to explore adding another experienced pass catcher.
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Ultimately, the Raiders' offensive success will come down to the players up front. Las Vegas, which ranked 17th in pass block win rate and 22nd in run block win rate, bypassed taking top offensive line prospects such as Kelvin Banks Jr. and Armand Membou in the first round. The decision was understandable because Jeanty addressed a major need and was the best player available at the time Las Vegas was on the clock.
Spytek and Carroll have been bullish on the offensive line group, especially right tackle DJ Glaze -- who they are hoping makes a leap in Year 2. The addition of offensive linemen Charles Grant and Caleb Rogers, both selected in the third round, should provide instant depth in the trenches.
"We like our offensive line and how it's coming together," Spytek said. "And then obviously putting the quarterback back there that can lead and rally the guys and play tough and make good decisions and then throw the ball really to all levels of the field."
Last weekend, the Raiders walked away with an offense that looks better on paper than it did when Spytek and Carroll arrived in Las Vegas in February. The group of Smith, Meyers, Jeanty, Bech and tight end Brock Bowers should be enough to be competitive in the AFC West.
"I felt like the strategy that we approached it with and the manner in which we accomplished it was really solid," Spytek said. "And now we'll just see."