Raiders general manager Mike Mayock was scouting the NCAA championship game when a friend and fellow personnel executive brought up a topic he loathes: Draft grades.
That friend mentioned Mayock's first NFL draft would receive a B-plus if he only took players from that title bout at Levi's Stadium.
Mayock gave it a go, which was more coincidence than not, with four of his nine selections from Clemson or Alabama.
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He still has no interest in giving the Raiders’ 2019 draft class a B-plus or any other letter grade. He thought attaching them to teams was insane during his previous gig as NFL Media's preeminent draft analyst. He doesn’t believe they belong near his draft class now.
“At NFL Network, they used to try to make me grade drafts, and I used to say it was unfair,” Mayock said Friday. “I’ll tell you what I think is an intriguing draft. I’ll tell you what I think is an interesting one. But I would never even grade when I was in the media because you’re not going to know for a couple of years anyways. … Everybody is excited about their drafts, and it has to play out.”
That’s because teams select the best players available on their draft board, generally at positions of great need. Regrets always exist at the end of a draft when coveted players go earlier than preferred, but teams generally feel great about who they get.
They would be handing out A's all around after a three-day selection process, but you won’t find letter grades. Since draftniks go nuts over post-draft evaluation, we can use some Mayock-ian terms to look at this Raiders class. And, no, we won't be mentioning oily hips here today.
NFL
Overall, let’s call it an intriguing, high-floor draft, containing a good mix of character guys with strong leadership skill. Some later picks have serious upside and Mayock's strong Day 3 acquisitions. It’s also pretty safe, without off-the-field red flags.
That was done by design, to help ease the transition to Las Vegas and its inherent temptations.
“For the record, we asked 112 kids if they’d be OK on the Las Vegas Strip or is it going to be a problem,” Mayock said. “All 112 said, ‘No, Coach, we’ll be fine.' We didn’t find one guy that admitted Vegas is going to be an issue. So they all lied to us.”
Mayock was telling the truth Saturday when he said he’s proud of the class he and Jon Gruden put together. Here are all nine picks:
Let’s single out a few themes from the class to the selection:
The eyebrow-raiser (at first)
Most where surprised when Clelin Ferrell was taken No. 4 overall. Count the Clemson defensive end in that crew.
Shock from some doesn’t make it a bad pick. Questioning the selection during Thursday night’s first round doesn’t mean it was the wrong way to go. The logic took a second to process.
The Raiders wanted Nick Bosa and Quinnen Williams. Couldn't get 'em. Ferrell was up next, and they executed the selection. That left some to question the overall value at No. 4. They didn't question the player much. That's hard to do. Ferrell could be an excellent pass rusher right away.
It’s clear already he’s a hard worker and squeaky clean prospect who should be a solid leader in the locker room. He was incredibly productive in college, and the Raiders took the best 4-3 defensive end they could get at the spot where they could get him.
It’s easy to say they should’ve traded down, but you’ve got to have a dance partner, and then you’re taking a risk that Ferrell won’t be there at your new spot. They felt secure with the selection to get a pro’s pro who knows how to get after the quarterback.
“I heard a quote, maybe after Clelin was taken, about being a safe layup in the fairway,” said Hunter Renfrow, Ferrell’s teammate at Clemson. “You don’t have to hit a great drive or have to do all this, but if you just hit a smooth iron or whatnot into the middle of the fairway, that’s what Clelin is. He is just as easy going as it gets.
“You’re getting a leader who is a really good player for one, but as good of a player he is, he’s a better person off the field. I feel like all the teams I’ve been on and the teams that have succeeded, they have the right people first. If you can get that, and people who are invested and committed and ready to do their job and care about their teammates, not wanting to let them down on Sunday, then you are going to have what it takes, and Clelin is all those things.”
It’s hard to argue with the value base of many other selections, which seemed to fit the Raiders' schemes and offer value where they were selected.
Supplementing the secondary
The Raiders wanted a leader in the secondary and an enforcer who could be a tone-setter in a defensive backfield getting younger by the draft. Gruden gave Abram the No. 24 as a message that he’ll have high demands for the Mississippi State alum. He made a great first impression Friday in his introductory press conference and should compete for a significant role right away in the safety group.
The Raiders also added cornerbacks Trayvon Mullen (Clemson) and Isaiah Johnson (Houston), guys who are tall, long, athletic former receivers who understand routes and can make plays on the ball. Both guys need some seasoning, but they will push to play opposite Gareon Conley in the long term. Daryl Worley and Nevin Lawson will see significant snaps, but the young players should be part of the team’s long term plan if they progress.
“They are perfect in what we do. We’re a press corner team,” Mayock said. “Jim O’Neil, our defensive backs coach, was as happy as I’ve ever seen him. Now we have some long press corners to join Gareon, Worley and all of our guys.”
Pressure package
The Raiders had just 13 sacks as a team last year, with a glaring weakness generating pressure off the edge. They didn’t address the position much in free agency — the price was sky high after so many top rushers were franchise tagged — but added three defensive ends in the draft. Ferrell should expect to be a three-down player, and Crosby will push Arden Key for playing time in passing situations.
Crosby has great speed and energy off the edge, and could be an excellent player if he gains strength and some weight to fit this Raiders scheme.
The Raiders feel better about where they are after the draft, with a frontline player and some developmental options that could pay dividends.
The project
The Raiders snagged defensive end Quinton Bell in the seventh round, a freak athlete with just one year’s experience. He wasn’t invited to the NFL Scouting Combine, and the Raiders were at his pro day, where he was awesome. He ran a 4.4-second 40-yard dash there at 240 pounds.
He’s raw as a pass rusher after three college seasons as a receiver, but he could be an excellent practice-squad candidate who develops into a legitimate NFL player with some strength and weight gains.
“Teddy Atlas, one of our scouts, kept bringing him up and bringing him up,” Mayock said. “I earmarked him in the back of my mind after we saw his [pro day] numbers, as a late seventh-round pick. There would’ve been 20 teams going after him in free agency, so we took him off the board instead.”
The workhorse?
Alabama typically wears out its running backs. That didn’t happen to Josh Jacobs. He didn’t have a ton of carries but averaged 5.9 yards per carry on 251 rushes in an efficient college career.
He wasn’t drafted to play second fiddle. He’ll be the Raiders feature back in time, and could be the primary back and a true three-down talent. Isaiah Crowell will help him out this year. So will Jalen Richard. But Jacobs should be a featured player in Gruden’s offense, and could have huge numbers as a runner and receiver.
Jacobs swears he’s ready for all that work, as a do-it-all player who can produce steadily.
[RELATED: Mayock excited by available players in Day 3]
“I’m definitely eager to prove, not only to myself but to everybody that I can be a three-down back,” Jacobs said. “Yeah, I think it was a blessing how it played out. I feel everything plays out how it’s supposed to. With me not having so much tread on the tires or whatever, being so fresh, I think it’s going to be huge, especially for my position. It’s going to be interesting.”