Oakland’s three first-round picks were one of the major storylines heading into Thursday night’s NFL draft, and Jon Gruden did not disappoint.
The Raiders made headlines for each of their first round selections — but not necessarily in a good way. There was a clear theme for Gruden’s selections: Good players, bad value.
Here’s a pick-by-pick breakdown of what the Raiders did:
No. 4 overall pick: Clelin Ferrell, Clemson, Edge
First, it was Clemson defensive end Clelin Ferrell at No. 4 overall. Most draft experts didn’t have Ferrell coming off the board until the mid-teens, and certainly not before Kentucky’s Josh Allen or Houston’s Ed Oliver.
Gruden should be defended on this account: Ferrell is a good player with a high floor, which is something the Raiders can benefit from. He won two national championships in three years at Clemson, producing 27 sacks over that span.
But this pick was arguably one of the biggest reaches of the first round, and Gruden might have been able to trade down 10 or more picks and still get his guy. Ferrell will now be looked at as the franchise’s Khalil Mack replacement — a burden that would be unfair to anybody, but especially a top-five pick that should have been on the board at 15.
Grade: C+
No. 24 overall pick: Josh Jacobs, Alabama, Running back
Second, the Raiders picked Alabama running back Josh Jacobs at No. 24 overall. Jacobs was the consensus top-rated running back heading into the draft, and pick No. 24 carries much less draft capital than pick No. 4.
But drafting a RB on day one isn’t great value these days. Take last season for example: Would you rather have Saquon Barkley (5.7 yards per touch) with the No. 2 overall pick or Phillip Lindsay (5.6 yards per touch) as an undrafted free agent?
This pick would be more defensible if Jacobs was seen as a slam dunk prospect (he’s not) or if the Raiders didn’t have pressing needs at a number of other more valuable positions (they do). It’s also possible Jacobs — or a comparable running back — would have slipped to Oakland’s second round pick at No. 35 overall.
Like Ferrell, there is an important positive here: Jacobs is a good football player. Just ask Oklahoma safety Robert Barnes. Jacobs also doesn’t have as much wear on his body (just 251 career carries) as most draft eligible RBs after sharing time with Damien Harris and Najee Harris at Alabama.
But the Raiders get dinged for value here. Running back was a team need heading into the draft, but it’s a need they could have been filled on Friday or Saturday.
Grade: B-
No. 27 overall pick: Johnathan Abram, Safety, Mississippi State
Like Oakland’s first two picks, Abram is a solid player. He’s a downhill safety who can punish teams for throwing over the middle. But like Jacobs, it’s possible — or even likely — that Abram would have been there at No. 35 overall.
This isn’t as big of a reach or value problem as their first two picks, but it still would have made sense for the Raiders to trade down.
On the bright side, he’s a versatile safety who could have a big impact and start from day one. If that’s what the Raiders’ goal was, then mission accomplished. From this conversation with Gruden and general manager Mike Mayock, it seems the Raiders believe they have their next leader on defense.
Grade: B