Raiders Shut Door On Past Regime, Terrible Drafts

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As the Las Vegas Raiders start to shut the door on the 2019 draft class, they look to the present for a better future.

With the Las Vegas Raiders announcing that all three 2019 first-round picks fifth-year options (Josh Jacobs, Clelin Ferrell, and Johnathan Abram) would not be picked up, fourth-round pick Maxx Crosby and fifth-round pick Hunter Renfrow become the lone standouts from“draft expert” Mike Mayock’s first year as general manager.

Struggled Early, Late Success

While Mayock hit and hit hard on Crosby and Renfrow, missing in the first round three times is unforgivable. To be fair, Josh Jacobs began his Raiders career far from a miss, but health concerns and the Raiders evolving into a more pass-heavy team ate away at Jacobs’ potential snaps. Jacobs could potentially find himself starting again in an offense that relies a bit more on the run. He did improve his pass-catching throughout his early years, but he simply is not built for acceleration after the catch.

The Biggest Failure

Ferrell was brought in apparently as a leader first, with his on-field skills coming as more of a project. Little has been mentioned regarding Ferrell’s leadership abilities and applications, but much has been said regarding his lack of production. Although many had the Clemson defensive lineman mocked late-first/early second, the Raiders selected him fourth overall. Perhaps the team’s lofty expectations due to his selection affected his confidence, but Ferrell never panned out. He may find himself rostered as a rotation player, but has not shown much to warrant a starting spot.

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Fighting For A Contract

Abram caught eyes and turned heads during HBO’s Hard Knocks when he seemed to have difficulty holding back from delivering crushing hits on his own teammates in practice. With his insane motor, Abram going in the first round made a significant amount of sense. Unfortunately, Abram’s motor only knows one direction: downhill. Throughout his tenure, Abram falls prey to play-action.

Long Game, New Player

There is potential for Abram to find time on a dynamic defense as a run-stopping defensive back, but he does not appear to fit the mold the Raiders have begun to craft. While the 2019 first-rounders did not pan out, potentially due to their selections being a bit of an old-school mindset, the 2022 Raiders have jumped into the present. Greg Ziegler took all the stress out of uncovering the mystery of what early picks could pan out to be in trading for Davante Adams.

No More Looking Back

Las Vegas knew its biggest weaknesses and have used more than the draft to address them. The 2019 draft may have been a bit of a setback, but the Raiders are committed to moving past it, instead of slowing things down to deal with it.