Raiders Opinion: The Mayock Dismissal

In firing Mike Mayock, the Las Vegas Raiders began a hopeful path to building the team with a clearer vision. However, the path forward also means looking back and assessing how the Mayock regime leaves the franchise. Yes, the Mayock regime. Jon Gruden left months ago, so the balance of the season falls squarely on Mike Mayock. For better or worse, the team reflected the decision-making of both Mike Mayock and Jon Gruden. For this article, we’re going to look at Mike Mayock. The team finished 25-24 during his tenure.

Where Does One Begin?

For nearly the entirety of Mayock’s employment, speculation ran wild with the question of who called the shots during the draft. Parsing each pick that appeared to fit the personality of each person. To be honest, no one knew the exact truth. In his defense, Jon Gruden kept a tight lip on who ran the proverbial draft ship. If Johnathan Abram fit the hard-nosed, Gruden mold, then the late-round find Maxx Crosby slid into Mayock’s deep film dive.

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The 100 Struggles

The first three rounds should stand as the foundational building blocks of a franchise. Under Gruden/Mayock, the Raiders repeatedly failed to successfully build. As many as four first-round picks may not see a second contract with the Raiders. Blame resides on the flipside of achievement. Below, the list of picks and a brief, but honest assessment, starting with 2019.

Clelin Ferrell: Run-stopping defensive end, overdrafted and underperformed.
Josh Jacobs: A workhorse back, repeatedly bitten by the injury bug.
Johnathan Abram: Safety with coverage issues. Made strides in 2021, before the injury.
Trayvon Mullen: Inconsistent corner that flashes potential, but may never improve.

2020

Henry Ruggs: Awaiting trial for killing a woman while drunk driving.
Damon Arnette: Oft-injured, immature corner despite age. Blown pick.
Lynn Bowden, Jr: Traded to Miami before 2020 season. Never played a down for the Raiders.
Bryan Edwards: X receiver that wins with size over speed. Decent fourth wideout.
Tanner Muse: Workout warrior washout. Ended up in Seattle.

2021

Alex Leatherwood: Moved inside to guard after nightmare start at right tackle.
Trevon Moehrig: Rangy defender that needs to capitalize on opportunities.
Malcolm Koonce: Rotational rusher that gives burst, depth. Primarily a special teamer.
Divine Deablo: Converted safety with upside. Needs reps.

Odd Man Out

In all honesty, Mike Mayock presented with a third-wheel vibe. Everyone knows that Mark Davis idolized Jon Gruden, to the point of extending him a ten-year contract. In what world, does a seemingly rational owner bestow ultimate control to a head coach, with zero oversight? Mike Mayock, by all accounts, is a fantastic human being, well-respected by peers, players, and people in general. Yet, from his hiring, he had to know that Mark Davis would ultimately side with Jon Gruden during any contentious debate. In a way, Mike Mayock deserved better than that awkward dynamic. Mayock doesn’t appear in the video, but the adoration Mark Davis showed became evident.

The Future

For Mike Mayock, any TV draft analyst job awaits him. The NFL Network, ESPN, maybe Amazon will throw buckets of money in his direction. Under those circumstances, the best-case scenario awaits. No rebuild, no retool, being paid to breakdown the film. On the other hand, the Raiders, beset by rampant failures in the draft and free agency, must rebuild into a functional, stable franchise.