Early returns for the 2019 Raiders Rookie Class

[RaidersAreOne]

It's too early to say this draft is "one for the ages", but as each game goes by it appears Mike Mayock simply killed his first draft as GM of the Raiders. Gruden has always been a poor drafter and at the time, signing yet another TV personality in MM to our front office was laughed at. However look at the early returns of this draft class:

1. Funny enough our highest pick seems to be the most disappointing thus far in DE Clellin Ferrell. He hasn't been bad, just not an elite pass-rusher yet which was kind of expected. He's been rather stout vs. the run and has played a lot better the past 3 weeks vs. earlier in the season. Projects to be a base end for the foreseeable future. 
2. It's a two man race between Kyler Murray and RB Josh Jacobs for OROY imo. He's on pace for 1477 yds, 1079 yds after contact, and 82 broken tackles.  Apparently all are more than Saquon Barkley had in his rookie season. Projects to be our bell cow, high end RB for the long-term.
3. S Johnathan Abram got hurt the first game and is missing the entire season. It really sucks because he looked good in camp and pre-season. We need an alpha back there and Raider Nnation is excited to get him back healthy next year. Projects to be our starting SS next season.
4. It took some time for CB Trayvon Mullen to get on the field, but once Conley was traded he was inserted in to the starting lineup. He's been sticky in coverage but has had some penalties as well. He's dropped 2 probable pick 6's but did seal yesterday's game with an INT. Very impressed with how big of an upgrade he's been over recent CB's we've had. Projects to be a starting CB long-term. 
5. The potential steal of the entire draft is DE Maxx Crosby. He has 20 solo tackles, 6.5 sacks, 3 FF, 8 TFL, 3 PD, 11 QB hits. He is an electric pass-rusher while holding up ok vs. the run. Needs to get stronger but his potential is insane. 
6. CB Isaiah Johnson finally is seeing the field now too after suffering a horrible face injury in pre-season. Dude couldn't eat, sleep, talk, etc normally until recently after surgery. He was raw coming out and I doubt he plays many snaps this year. Projects to be potential CB depth, ST gunner.
7. Finally another pick on O and it was a good one in TE Foster Moreau. I consider him a high-end #2 TE already due to him being a punishing blocker and a reliable possession receiver early on too. He has 16 receptions, 142 yards and 4 TDs through 10 games. If not for Waller being Waller, he'd be getting a lot more targets too. Projects to be a very solid TE for a long time.
8. Another sneaky find was WR Hunter Renfrow. Third and Renfrow is a real thing. Had 3 first down catches yesterday all on 3rd down. He's already at 33 receptions, 365 yards and 2 TD's this season. Projects to be our starting slot guy sooner rather than later.
9. DE Quinton Bell was a swing and a miss. Former WR turned DE and we tried stashing him on the PS. I believe he was signed to an active roster a few weeks ago.

Now if the draft wasn't good enough, we landed a couple major UDFA's as well:

• FB Alec Ingold is a true Gruden Grinder. Such a throwback, rips your head off lead blocker and a capable utility guy as well. The holes he opens for Jacobs and Co is phenomenal. He is already one of the better blocking FB's and projects to be our starting for a very long time.
• After drafting one in the 5th last year, UDFA P AJ Cole stole the job with ease and hasn't looked back. Looks like our guy for right now at least.
• Keelan Doss was a big star on Hard Knocks but hasn't done much to date. A couple catches here and there. May be a depth dude down the road but he's fodder at this point in time.
• CB Keisean Nixon was a major playmaker in preseason but hasn't seen playing time other than ST. Don't expect much out of him.

What are your thoughts on the draft? Are things finally looking up for the Raiders with Mayock at the helm? I for one can't wait to see future drafts as we have 2 firsts and 3 thirds to play with next draft.

[Chiefer]

I hate it

[diamondbull424]

Really loved the Maxx Crosby pick. He was a constant in my Ravens mocks and as it stands... he would’ve done an awfully good job for us especially with how disappointing our pass rush has been this season.

[Buckweath]

26 minutes ago, RaidersAreOne said:

It's too early to say this draft is "one for the ages", but as each game goes by it appears Mike Mayock simply killed his first draft as GM of the Raiders. Gruden has always been a poor drafter and at the time, signing yet another TV personality in MM to our front office was laughed at. However look at the early returns of this draft class:

1. Funny enough our highest pick seems to be the most disappointing thus far in DE Clellin Ferrell. He hasn't been bad, just not an elite pass-rusher yet which was kind of expected. He's been rather stout vs. the run and has played a lot better the past 3 weeks vs. earlier in the season. Projects to be a base end for the foreseeable future. 
2. It's a two man race between Kyler Murray and RB Josh Jacobs for OROY imo. He's on pace for 1477 yds, 1079 yds after contact, and 82 broken tackles.  Apparently all are more than Saquon Barkley had in his rookie season. Projects to be our bell cow, high end RB for the long-term.
3. S Johnathan Abram got hurt the first game and is missing the entire season. It really sucks because he looked good in camp and pre-season. We need an alpha back there and Raider Nnation is excited to get him back healthy next year. Projects to be our starting SS next season.
4. It took some time for CB Trayvon Mullen to get on the field, but once Conley was traded he was inserted in to the starting lineup. He's been sticky in coverage but has had some penalties as well. He's dropped 2 probable pick 6's but did seal yesterday's game with an INT. Very impressed with how big of an upgrade he's been over recent CB's we've had. Projects to be a starting CB long-term. 
5. The potential steal of the entire draft is DE Maxx Crosby. He has 20 solo tackles, 6.5 sacks, 3 FF, 8 TFL, 3 PD, 11 QB hits. He is an electric pass-rusher while holding up ok vs. the run. Needs to get stronger but his potential is insane. 
6. CB Isaiah Johnson finally is seeing the field now too after suffering a horrible face injury in pre-season. Dude couldn't eat, sleep, talk, etc normally until recently after surgery. He was raw coming out and I doubt he plays many snaps this year. Projects to be potential CB depth, ST gunner.
7. Finally another pick on O and it was a good one in TE Foster Moreau. I consider him a high-end #2 TE already due to him being a punishing blocker and a reliable possession receiver early on too. He has 16 receptions, 142 yards and 4 TDs through 10 games. If not for Waller being Waller, he'd be getting a lot more targets too. Projects to be a very solid TE for a long time.
8. Another sneaky find was WR Hunter Renfrow. Third and Renfrow is a real thing. Had 3 first down catches yesterday all on 3rd down. He's already at 33 receptions, 365 yards and 2 TD's this season. Projects to be our starting slot guy sooner rather than later.
9. DE Quinton Bell was a swing and a miss. Former WR turned DE and we tried stashing him on the PS. I believe he was signed to an active roster a few weeks ago.

Now if the draft wasn't good enough, we landed a couple major UDFA's as well:

• FB Alec Ingold is a true Gruden Grinder. Such a throwback, rips your head off lead blocker and a capable utility guy as well. The holes he opens for Jacobs and Co is phenomenal. He is already one of the better blocking FB's and projects to be our starting for a very long time.
• After drafting one in the 5th last year, UDFA P AJ Cole stole the job with ease and hasn't looked back. Looks like our guy for right now at least.
• Keelan Doss was a big star on Hard Knocks but hasn't done much to date. A couple catches here and there. May be a depth dude down the road but he's fodder at this point in time.
• CB Keisean Nixon was a major playmaker in preseason but hasn't seen playing time other than ST. Don't expect much out of him.

What are your thoughts on the draft? Are things finally looking up for the Raiders with Mayock at the helm? I for one can't wait to see future drafts as we have 2 firsts and 3 thirds to play with next draft.

We obviously need more time to fully assess this draft but for a team that had 3 first round picks, including a top 5 pick,  9 picks in total, I don't think it's that impressive. 

 

Not saying it cannot prove to be a great draft down the road but right now I just don't think it's anything great when taking into account the above-mentioned.

 

I mean you got 3 first round picks and only one looks like a hit so far.

[BayRaider]

8 minutes ago, Buckweath said:

We obviously need more time to fully assess this draft but for a team that had 3 first round picks, including a top 5 pick,  9 picks in total, I don't think it's that impressive. 

 

Not saying it cannot prove to be a great draft down the road but right now I just don't think it's anything great when taking into account the above-mentioned.

 

I mean you got 3 first round picks and only one looks like a hit so far.

Even not factoring in those two 1sts, like at all, still a tremendous draft class top to bottom. Reminds me of the 2007 Giants Draft Class. Every Rookie contributed in that Super Bowl run big time. 

[Buckweath]

2 hours ago, BayRaider said:

Even not factoring in those two 1sts, like at all, still a tremendous draft class top to bottom. Reminds me of the 2007 Giants Draft Class. Every Rookie contributed in that Super Bowl run big time. 

That's the thing. You have to factor in those 3 first round picks. It is kinda like your team had almost double the draft capital of some other teams.

[BayRaider]

2 minutes ago, Buckweath said:

That's the thing. You have to factor in those 3 first round picks. It is kinda like your team had almost double the draft capital of some other teams.

The jury is still out though? Abram looked great in the Denver game and got injured for the year. Ferrell has looked very very good since exclusively playing on the edge the past three games. Whole new player. 

And we are easily getting the best contributions from the 2nd-7th Rounds 

[wackywabbit]

20 minutes ago, Buckweath said:

That's the thing. You have to factor in those 3 first round picks. It is kinda like your team had almost double the draft capital of some other teams.

They did have double the draft capital of many teams. Most of the NFL, by the classic value chart.

This doesn't mean they didn't do well with what they had, but it's important to note the expected value they "should" get out of the draft was the most of any team.

We'd apply the same logic to a suggestion that Kyler Murray and Joey Bosa showed great drafting by the Cardinals and 49ers. Yes, they were good selections that they could have gotten wrong, but also...

Edited November 18, 2019 by wackywabbit

[BleedTheClock]

I loved their draft. And I loved the Ferrell pick. I think he ends up becoming a great NFL player. 

[BayRaider]

Just now, BleedTheClock said:

I loved their draft. And I loved the Ferrell pick. I think he ends up becoming a great NFL player. 

People expecting too much flash from him. When it was said a million times he’s not a flash guy. He’s a Brandon Graham clone almost. Ferrell will get you 6-10 sacks on a year (usually 6-8) but an elite run defender, swats a ton of balls, and gets pressures that don’t equate to sacks.

Graham is constantly in PFFs Top 40. I’d take Graham at Pick 4 in a heartbeat in any normal draft. 

I’m not saying Ferrell will be as a good as Graham but it’s a good comp.  

[Magnifico]

I guess we can judge Mayock properly next year once it's backed up by the 2nd class from 2020 however it's an excellent start, ideally you'd want more from your Top picks though. Need to hit on the additional picks next year and it'll continue the upward trend the franchise are on and there's no reason why they can't be AFC contenders especially with a QB already in place.

All of a sudden that Khalil Mack trade looks a lot difference in the cold harsh reality of Trubisky sucking.

The Raiders isn't as good but as a comparison the Saints in 2016 and 2017 drafted:- Sheldon Rankins, Michael Thomas, Vonn Bell, David Onyemata, Marshon Lattimore, Ryan Ramcyzk, Marcus Williams, Alvin Kamara, Alex Anzalone and Trey Hendrickson. [That 2017 Class particularly is ridiculous]

It doesn't need to be that good, if your getting starters/starting production from the majority of your draft class littered with some stars like Jacobs and this continues throughout the course of their rookie contracts then it's an excellent draft. It's the foundation of making you consistent contenders like those drafts were for the Saints.

Go get Carr another productive WR and is LB a concern?

[SteelKing728]

10 hours ago, BleedTheClock said:

I loved their draft. And I loved the Ferrell pick. I think he ends up becoming a great NFL player. 

Did Josh Allen fit their scheme? He looks pretty good as a rookie.

[Soko]

Sick draft class. Not ready to put a bunch of faith into Mayock, but good early returns for sure.

[Nabbs4u]

Nahh, they all Suck / overdrafted!  Mayock is still nothing more then a Glorified Scout way over his head and Gruden the same idiot with no clue what that hell he's doing. Don't change the status quo now, Let it be!

Good Ole' Days! 

Edited November 19, 2019 by Nabbs4u

[ronjon1990]

I've lightened my stance on it since I blew a gasket on draft day over our 1st round picks.

Still, I feel like Ferrell was a bit of a reach at 4. There were other DE/Pass Rush types I liked more (Josh Allen being one, scheme be damned since we plug Ferrell in at DT ffs) and wished we'd either gone after one of them or traded down if possible for Devin White, Allen, or Brian Burns personally. Not a terrible pick, but not my favorite. 

I was infuriated when we took Jacobs at 24 with Hollywood, Harry, and Murphy still on the board. In hindsight, yes, Jacobs was a heck of a get. But I will forever maintain that we could have traded one of our 1sts down for a few more mid rounders (I was pounding the table for either a player or picks as I routinely hate what we do in Rd 1 but remain amazed at our ability to find latter round contributors) and nabbed him in the 2nd while having extra capital later on. 

I hated the Abraham pick with a passion. In my opinion, even backed up by the admittedly small sample size we saw, he's going to just be a liability. He got hurt, hurt one of our own, and I see Taylor Mays/DJ Swearinger written all over him in terms of getting penalized way too often to be a building block. Personally, I prefered Taylor Rapp at S, but oh well. 

Mullen pick was a wash for me but there wasn't much around and CB was a need. 

Liked the Crosby pick. 

Didn't know anything about Johnson, but there were players left I would've loved to take there. 

Loved the Moreau pick, having watched him in person at a couple LSU games.

Underwhelmed by the Renfrow pick mostly because I felt he could have been taken later.

Knew nothing about Bell. 

I know I'll eat crow for some of the picks for what they wind up doing, I just walked away overall underwhelmed by the relative value (caveat being that I fully understand that me saying someone could have been had later doesn't necessarily make it so) but here's what I would've likely done, so maybe it's not that bad:

1.4 Attempt to trade down, settle on Josh Allen.

1.24 Hollywood Brown

1.27 Trade down, grabbing an early 2nd and 3rd for this draft (extra picks for Vegas 2020) No pick

2nd Round- (1.27)- Mullen a bit higher with Murphy off the board and CB being a need.

2.40 Taylor Rapp

3rd- (1.27)- Alexander Mattison

4.106-  Maxx Crosby 

4.129- Greg Gaines

4.137- Foster Moreau

5.149- Jalen Jelks

7.230- Anthony Johnson 

So, not the greatest given what Jacobs has provided, but Brown is a stud as well, Rapp > Abraham imo, I was high on Gaines and Jelks, I still like Mattison's style, but Johnson would've been a wasted pick.