Every NFL player has the chance to create their own narrative.

This has been true of each player that's heard his name called in the NFL Draft, including those who've donned the Silver and Black. As the 2025 NFL Draft gets underway this Thursday, the Raiders will lean on their draft evaluations and expertise to make the best decisions for their future.

However in many cases, the new crop of players will have to climb an uphill battle to set themselves apart and exceed the expectations placed on them entering their NFL careers. Several Raiders currently on the roster can say they've been able to accomplish that or on the trajectory to doing so.

Take a look at a few scouting reports from NFL.com of players currently on the roster and how they've performed since arriving in the league.

Jakobi Meyers, North Carolina State

Prospect Grade: 5.50 - Priority undrafted free agent

Meyers became one of the best receivers to step foot through the Wolfpack program after he was originally recruited to play quarterback.

Going into his redshirt freshman season coming off knee surgery, he transitioned over to his current position – totaling nearly 2,000 receiving yards and nine touchdowns in three seasons. In 2018, he broke the school's single-season record for receptions (92) that was previously held by seven-time Pro Bowler Torry Holt.

"Jakobi just always had that dog in him," said AJ Cole, Meyers' college teammate. "He's the guy you want catching the ball over the middle and you know he's going to come down with it. He's been that guy since literally the first snap he played receiver."

Despite his exceptional junior season, his athleticism was in question heading into the 2019 NFL Draft. At the Combine, he clocked a 4.63 in the 40-yard dash, the second-slowest time of any receiver that participated that year. It ultimately played a factor in him going undrafted and signing as a UDFA with the New England Patriots.

"Meyers plays with good awareness and field IQ and he's more than tough enough to handle physical catch opportunities," Lance Zierlein, NFL.com analyst, wrote at the time, "but he could struggle against press coverage and his route speed and vertical push is below average. Meyers' ball skills will stand out, but he needs to prove he can run and uncover against NFL athletes across from him."

The Wolfpack receiver quickly got to work proving himself with the Patriots, leading the team in receiving yards for three consecutive seasons. In 2023, he signed with the Las Vegas Raiders, tying with Davante Adams for a team-high eight receiving touchdowns that season. The following season, he set a career highs in receptions (87) and receiving yards (1,027).

DJ Glaze, Maryland

Prospect Grade: 5.97 - Average backup or special-teamer

DJ Glaze has done a proper job of exceeding expectations in his rookie season.

The offensive tackle had some injury concerns coming out of high school, but proved to be reliable piece to the Terrapins offense in his tenure there. He started 26 straight games from 2022-23, logging at least 800 snaps between left and right tackle. The Raiders took a shot on Glaze with their 77th pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, two rounds sooner than Lance Zierlein's fifth-round projection.

"Glaze has started at both tackle spots but is inconsistent with his pass sets and change of direction," Zierlein wrote in his draft evaluation. "Rushers with speed can beat him to the top of the rush and cross his face for easy inside access once he starts oversetting. He has good hand strength and should improve in protection if he can use more direct, inside hands in his punch. He's fairly fluid in space and fits the criteria of an inside/outside zone blocker with lead-pull potential. A move to guard might give him the best chance to become an NFL starter in the future."

Contrary to Zierlein's evaluation, Glaze didn't need to move to guard to become an NFL starter. He filled in for an injured Thayer Munford Jr. at right tackle during training camp, which was a premonition of what was to come in the regular season. Munford went down again in Week 3 against the Carolina Panthers, and Glaze didn't look back. He started the remaining 14 games the rest of the season, only allowing one sack throughout the last 12 contests of his rookie campaign.

Jakorian Bennett, Maryland

Prospect Grade: 5.83 - Average backup or special-teamer

The year before Glaze was selected by the Silver and Black, the Raiders took a swing on his former college teammate Jakorian Bennett in the fourth round.

The Mobile, Alabama, native wasn't recruited coming out of high school, instead going the junior college route before ultimately landing at the University of Maryland. In 2021, the cornerback led the Big 10 in pass deflections (13). He also recorded five interceptions over two seasons with the Terrapins.

Bennett was a bit overlooked in his draft class for several reasons. Despite his physical play style, his 5-foot-11, 188-pound frame came into question among a few scouts and evaluators. Additionally, most of the headlines in the Terrapins secondary were directed towards cornerback Deonte Banks, who was eventually drafted in the first round by the New York Giants. However, Bennett left a lasting impression at the NFL Combine, recording the second-fastest 40-yard dash time (4.30) of any participant at the event and receiving a 99 athleticism grade from NFL Next Gen Stats.

"The high passes defensed total is an example of how aggressive Bennett is at the catch point, and he's clearly effective at tilting the 50/50 ball in his favor," Zierlein wrote, praising Bennett's game. "However, his coverage tends to lack the needed anticipation and discipline to stay connected to NFL route runners. ... [H]is coverage strength is a mix and match of man and zone with both featuring inconsistencies that will likely follow him into an NFL camp."

Despite winning the starting outside cornerback job as a rookie, the inconsistencies did follow him throughout the season. Injuries plagued him, forcing him to miss three games while allowing a 102.5 passer rating as the nearest defender. Nevertheless, he came back with a vengeance in Year 2. In 10 games played in 2024, he recorded eight pass deflections while allowing a mere 52.3 completion percentage in coverage.

Malcolm Koonce, Buffalo

Prospect Grade: 6.10 - Good backup with the potential to develop into starter

Koonce was a wild-card prospect when he was drafted with the 79th pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.

Based off his college tape and physical traits, he was the ideal edge rusher for any NFL team. The two-time First-Team All-MAC player totaled 14 sacks and 18 tackles for loss in his junior and senior seasons with the Bulls. These numbers could've been even more impressive if his last collegiate season wasn't shortened due to COVID-19. However, similar to his Raiders teammate Maxx Crosby, Koonce's draft stock took a hit considering he didn't play for a Power Five conference powerhouse program and he had a slender frame for an defensive end.

"Long-levered stand-up rusher whose production over the last two seasons will surely catch a team's eye," Zierlein wrote. "Anchor strength and contact balance are the two immediate stumbling blocks Koonce faces in terms of his NFL future, but some of those concerns might be alleviated with more work in an NFL weight program. Koonce has a noticeable second gear to the football, but needs to improve as a tackle finisher. His approach as an edge rusher is basic and predictable, but he plays with instinctive feet and tempo changes, which could be crafted into a more dangerous attack in time."

As Zierlein predicted, Koonce did become dangerous with time. He struggled to find a role in the defensive line rotation until his third season in which he recorded eight sacks, nine tackles for loss and three forced fumbles. Despite a knee injury forcing him to miss the entirety of the 2024 season, he made quite the impression on new head coach and general manager hires Pete Carroll and John Spytek, who rewarded him with a contract extension.

"[S]omebody like Pete Carroll, he's a legend of a coach, so who doesn't want to be around him?" Koonce said after re-signing with the Raiders. "And then Pat [Patrick Graham] has kind of seen me grow into the player that I am, so I'm very comfortable around him, comfortable in the system, and it's always great to be around guys that believe in you."

For more draft content, visit raiders.com/draft.