After two straight years of drafting in the top five in the first round, the Oakland Raiders were in a different situation this year. After a six win improvement from the previous year, general manager Reggie McKenzie was awarded the 14th spot in the draft. The last time McKenzie drafted that high, he took cornerback D.J. Hayden with the 12th pick of the draft. That hasn’t turned out well at all. This year, it seems a bit different, with what looks like another great draft notched under McKenzie’s belt. Here are the picks:
Round 1, 14th Overall: Karl Joseph, S, WVU
Round 2, 44th Overall: Jihad Ward, DL, Illinois
Round 3, 75th Overall: Shilique Calhoun, DE, Michigan St.
Round 4, 100th Overall: Connor Cook, QB, Michigan St.
Round 5. 143rd Overall: DeAndre Washington, RB, Texas Tech
Round 6, 194th Overall: Cory James. LB, Colorado St.
Round 7, 234th Overall: Vadal Alexander, G, LSU
Raiders 2016 NFL Draft Grade: 8.5/10
Oakland Raiders 2016 NFL Draft Review
The Best Player
If the best player that the Raiders took isn’t their first round pick, then they are doing something wrong. Karl Joseph is a hard-hitting, intelligent, and athletic safety out of the University of West Virginia. The former Mountaineer is a big time playmaker with great awareness and ability to play the ball in the air. He was truly the best safety that was available in the draft, and although he wasn’t expected to go in the first round, the Raiders made a good choice in taking him. The reason that the Raiders probably took him so early is because they might have heard that another team planned on taking him in the first round (likely the Atlanta Falcons). McKenzie probably decided that taking Joseph early was better than not taking him at all. The one thing that is raising a cloud of doubt around Joseph is the fact that he had a non-contact ACL injury that forced him to sit for most of his senior year. If that proves to be a problem, he might not be able to reach his full potential. But if that knee is perfectly fine, look out. He has drawn comparisons to Earl Thomas and Brian Dawkins and will be an absolute stud if he stays healthy.
The Head-Scratcher
In some people’s eyes, the Raiders had more than few head-scratchers in the draft. However, the only real perplexing move that they made was trading up to the 100th pick in the draft and taking quarterback Connor Cook. After the initial shock of the move and some reflection, it started to make sense a little sense, but there are still some questions. The Raiders already have a franchise quarterback in Derek Carr and a more than capable backup in Matt McGloin. However, because of his higher potential and smaller price compared to McGloin, taking Cook might have been a good move. If Cook does improve, he could be a very valuable trade chip, which is exactly what McKenzie and his staff probably have in mind. At the time, it was definitely a head-scratching move, especially because Oakland traded up to get him. After some thoughts and research, the move does make some sense though.
The Surprise
For the sake of not being repetitive by saying trading up for Connor Cook again, let’s go with taking defensive lineman Jihad Ward in the second round. The former Illinois football player is an absolute beast. At 6’5” and 297 pounds, he is a physical freak that is waiting to show the talent that he has. The surprise about this pick is that the Raiders decided to take him so early. Again, very much like what probably happened with Karl Joseph, the Raiders might have heard that someone was going to take Ward, and Reggie McKenzie decided that taking him early is better than not having him at all. A lot of reports about Ward sound a lot like when the Raiders selected defensive end Mario Edwards Jr. in the second round last year. Edwards Jr. played like a top 10 draft pick last season, and if his neck is okay, he will continue to be a beast. This may have been a surprising pick, but based on his resume, Reggie McKenzie knows what he’s doing.
The Steal
The Raiders actually picked up three potential steals in the draft. Shilique Calhoun, Deandre Washington, and Vadal Alexander all were expected to go earlier than they were drafted. Shilique Calhoun seems to be the most NFL-ready and most talented of the three as of now, which is why he was projected to be a second-round pick. The Raiders were able to get him in the third round, with the 75th pick, which might have been robbery. Calhoun very well could be the best pass rusher in the draft. According to Pro Football Focus, he had the number one pass rushing grade last year, and was number five the year before that. The things that Calhoun needs to improve on are aggressiveness, run defense, and the nine encroachment penalties he acquired last year. He will definitely be a factor on passing downs, and if he wants to, and works hard enough to improve on those weaknesses, he can be one of the starting defensive ends for the Raiders.
Most Likely To Turn Heads in Training Camp
Deandre Washington is the guy that could turn some heads. At 5’8” and just above 200 pounds, the former Texas Tech Red Raider is built like Darren Sproles and could become just as valuable as him. There were reports of the Raiders being interested in a trade for Sproles. Instead, they grabbed his clone in the draft. Washington is a “complete back” according to Reggie McKenzie and “he’s more than a third down back.” Washington is able to do everything on the field: catch, run between the tackles, make defenders miss, and burst through to open spaces. Latavius Murray is not expected to lose his job before the season, but Washington will definitely turn some heads and give Murray some competition. He will be a great second running back to complement Murray’s run style.
The Rest
The two players that haven’t been mentioned yet are Cory James and Vadal Alexander. James is linebacker that was drafted out of Colorado State in the sixth round. He brings versatility at the linebacker position, having played all linebacker positions as well as defensive end. His size (6’1”, 229 pounds) will prevent him from contributing at defensive end as a full-time starter, but he will be valuable in special teams and as a rotational defensive player. Alexander is one of those steals that was mentioned before. Alexander was one of the top-rated guards in the draft, and was projected to be taken between the third and fourth rounds. Instead, he fell to the seventh round for some strange reason. Alexander is 6’5”, 326 pounds of strength and power and played both guard and tackle at LSU. If the Raiders had an opening at the guard position, Alexander would be able to challenge for the spot. However, with Gabe Jackson and newly-signed Kelechi Osemele manning those spots, Alexander is an awesome addition for depth. If he can improve his footwork, he will be able to play the tackle position. As of now, he’s a great option to put in for goal line situations or if something happens to Jackson or Osemele.
The Bottom Line
After the second round, the Raiders focused on the “best player available” mentality, and stuck to it throughout the rest of the draft. They did mention that they were planning on taking a running back to help out Latavius Murray, and they made sure to do that. They grabbed some great players for the defensive and offensive lines who could be contributors at the start of the season. With the draft over, this concludes all of the Raiders biggest off-season additions, and now they can focus their full attention on preparing for the upcoming season. With the Raiders improving so much, it has propelled them to the conversation of taking their division and making the playoffs for the first time since 2002. Raiders fans across America are finally feeling something most haven’t felt for more than a decade: anticipation.
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