Raiders 2019 NFL Draft Round 1 Recap

Day 1 of the 2019 NFL Draft is a wrap and the Raiders have made all three of their first round selections. They tanked enough to get #4 overall pick. They get additional late first round picks from the Bears and the Cowboys since they traded Khalil Mack and Amari Cooper respectively. The Gruden/Mayock regime can't possibly screw this up correct? Let's take a look at their selections and I provide my own personal thoughts on them.

#4: Clelin Ferrell, DE, Clemson

The top 5 pick that surprised a whole lot of analysts that covered a lot of mock drafts prior. So, this is the reason why Gruden and Mayock sent their scouts home? I got a chance to see Ferrell play against Alabama in the National Title game. I was paying close attention to he and Quinnen Williams as I thought the Raiders would get both players back-to-back. Not the case today as the Jets took Williams at #3. Clelin Ferrell is not a bad player. He was key in disrupting Alabama's offense and not allowing Tua Tagovailoa to turn loose as the Tigers rolled over the Tide that game. Then again, that Clemson D-line was stacked with all kinds of talent and Ferrell without question is a 1st round talent. He's ranked as a top 10 DE/EDGE rusher in this draft. High character, coming from a military family. He's exactly what the Raiders needed to shore up the pass rush that was non-existent since they gave away Mack to Chicago. The only problem is that he was taken a little too early. Most mock drafts had him as a mid-late 1st rounder. Again, I thought the Raiders would've used their late 1st round picks to get him or they could've traded down and he still would've been on the board. Bosa went at #2. Williams at #3. The top defensive prospects are gone, so why not trade down, accumulate more picks, and still get Ferrell? Another thing is that other top prospects like Josh Allen out of Kentucky was still on the board. But, the Raiders selected Ferrell because he's a better scheme fit. The number one rule for teams with a top 5 pick is that you use that pick for a need. You use it for an impact player that can help right away, hence why I and along with a few others were stunned that they reached for Ferrell this early. Like I said, he's not a bad player. He's just overvalued for a #4 overall pick. Inserting him with Hurst, Hall, and Key on that D-line is going to be Paul Guenther's big project. That line is filled with a lot of promise and unknowns.

#24: Josh Jacobs, RB, Alabama

From the Khalil Mack trade obviously. There's a lot of uncertainty at the running back position with Marshawn Lynch retiring (again) and Doug Martin remaining unsigned (like the Raiders need him). They did sign Isaiah Crowell this offseason to address RB. With this selection, they might potentially have added their bell cow back of the future. I didn't get to see much of Josh Jacobs in the championship game vs. Clemson. Alabama got destroyed so they couldn't rely on the running game too much. But from what I've heard and looking at his highlights, he's versatile and can fit in a zone or power scheme. He's shown some flashes as a solid pass catching back, has a nose for the end zone, and possesses some good speed when he hits one big hole. He's pretty shifty with his feet as well. Given that and his pass catching ability, I'm probably assuming that Josh Jacobs is more of a scat back. He's definitely a perfect replacement for Beast Mode since Marshawn is a similar runner. The only knock on Jacobs is that Alabama's running backs are hard to trust when they go to the NFL. Think Trent Richardson, Eddie Lacy, T.J. Yeldon, Derrick Henry (TBD), etc. Alabama RBs have been on a downward trend lately and many are figuring out that they're byproducts of Alabama's pro-ready O-line. Nonetheless, The competition at RB is heating up with Jacobs and Crowell expected to be #1 and #2. And then Richard, D-Wash, and CW III (Chris Warren III) projected to fight for that #3 spot.

#27: Johnathan Abram, S, Mississippi State

I initially projected the Raiders to go defense heavy with all three of their first round picks. I wouldn't be surprised if they used one of those picks to get a DB. And they did address that with their last pick of the draft. Last year, the Raiders' secondary started to turn the corner. Karl Joseph broke out since taking over for Reggie Nelson. Gareon Conley was finally 100% and showed some flashes of being a shutdown corner. Thank goodness they didn't bring back old-@$$ Reggie Nelson and signed LaMarcus Joyner from the Rams. I'm being a little off topic here, so let's go back. The Raiders select Johnathan Abram. He was the leading tackler in the SEC Conference. He's a hard-hitting safety that excels in whenever Mississippi State's defense stacks the box. He's also a versatile safety, able to play both Free, Strong and can easily be plugged into playing as a nickel corner. I'm not sure if this pick indicates that the writing is on the wall for Karl Joseph. He's a free agent by season's end. We'll see what happens. But, the Raiders are stacking a lot of depth in the secondary. They're deep especially at the Safety position with Joseph, Joyner, Erik Harris, Curtis Riley, and now, Johanathan Abram.

Antonio Brown Traded to the Raiders

Sad that Antonio Brown had to be killed off-screen at the conclusion of "Days of Our Steelers." It's been awhile since I've talked any Raiders football. But last night's trade had Raider Nation buzzing. Simply put, AB is an Oakland Raider (in principle). The Raiders agreed to send a 3rd round and 5th round pick to the Pittsburgh Steelers in exchange for the embattled Star Wideout. In addition, the Raiders offered Brown a 3-year, $50 million contract, which he'll sign once free agency frenzy is officially underway. 

This has been rumored awhile now, but it hasn't heated up since the idea that the Raiders were rumored in assembling a "Big 3" with Antonio Brown, Le'Veon Bell, and QB prospect, Kyler Murray. As mentioned, AB wanted the Steelers to trade him out west. Initially, it wasn't the Raiders. If AB were to go to the Bay Area, many sources projected him to be a 49er and be Jimmy Garoppolo's go-to-guy. Heck, even Jerry Rice publicly rallied for AB to don the Red and Gold. It hasn't happened.

The Antonio Brown trade saga took quite an unexpected twist when reports were made that the Steelers were trading him to the Buffalo Bills. AB refuted the idea and the deal quickly died. So, Brown was a Buffalo Bill for a good seven hours or so. It was clear that AB goes where AB wants to go. He successfully got the Steelers to bend the knee and cave in to his demands. Let's face it, the Steelers were pretty much tired of his diva antics. With the way they handled the Le'Veon Bell situation, they didn't want to deal with the same situation with Antonio Brown and let his drama  linger with the team any longer. So, he had to go. And if there's any indication that Brown going to the Raiders is 100% true, he quickly posted up his on Instagram of him photoshopped in a Raiders uniform and showing affection for Derek Carr, to which Carr was really receptive about.

Let's get into the trade details here. The fact that the Raiders only gave up a 3rd round pick and 5th round pick to get AB was surprising. If the Steelers were adamant about giving him away, they'd get something higher like a first rounder. To be honest, if the Raiders did surrender their first round picks to get AB, I would've been furious because you trade way young players like Mack and Cooper who haven't reached their prime yet to get those picks, yet you give them away for a star that may have 2-3 years left in the tank. So, I'll give the Gruden and Mayock brain trust credit on this deal. Now, the Bears are in cap hell before Trubisky's deal rookie deal is up and they locked up Mack to a monster deal. The Cowboys are going to need to make some decisions since Coop's due for a big contract, yet they'll have to account for Zeke next offseason. The Raiders have started making their moves with a lot of cap space and three 1st round picks. They might rebuild faster than expected. That's IF everything goes right.

This trade does not escape disastrous implications. Like I said, AB may have a good 2-3 years left in the tank before he starts showing signs of decline (AB and Jordy Nelson as the starting WRs, I would've been excited if this was 2014). And his diva attitude is self-evident during the later years of his career as a Pittsburgh Steeler. Then again, that locker room, that organization is getting toxic, which is a glorious sight to see. Minus a few players of course. Boy, do I feel sorry for JuJu and James Conner? The way he handled his trade saga also docks some points off. You know it's real when "Classy Larry (Larry Fitzgerald)" calls you out to stop the madness. The dynamic between him and Jon Gruden is going to be interesting because you'll have two inflated egos bound to collide like the Andromeda and Milky Way galaxies. Go listen to some stories on the tension between Gruden and Keyshawn Johnson when Chucky was still coaching in Tampa Bay. AB does express his excitement to be Derek Carr's go-to-guy. Now, that prompts the Raiders to step back because they've implied that Carr was on the trading block so they can get Kyler Murray in this draft. If they trade Carr now, the relationship with AB is going to go sour in a hurry. Yes, his $125 million deal is burdensome to the team in the midst of a rebuild, but they're forced to keep him at this point and we'll see how Carr improves in Year 2 under the Gruden system. Carr definitely needs to make major strides because not only will he have Gruden in his face, but Antonio Brown is going to get in his face as well for not giving him the ball on the sidelines. Sure, they're buddy-buddy in the Pro Bowl, but it's much different when you're teammates and on a 16-week gauntlet. Just ask Donovan McNabb and Terrell Owens. Man, if this trade trends to disaster, "The Silver and Black Shitshow" may be renewed for another year. Anyway, welcome to the nation AB.

Side note: The Raiders made another trade today sending Kelechi Osemele to the New York Jets for a fifth round pick. K.O. initially signed to a 5-year $70 million contract in 2016, which is a lot money for an Offensive Guard. This was likely for a salary dump. K.O. was awesome in his first year. It's unfortunate that he struggled with injuries in the next two. If there's anyone I'd want in that O-line to stick around for the long run, it'd be Rodney Hudson. Donald Penn is getting old. Kolton Miller is still raw. At least Gabe Jackson will hold down one of the Guard positions. Definitely, the Raiders are going to have their work cut out to rebuild that Carr Insurance. It also doesn't help that Tom Cable is still coaching that unit.