2015 NFL Draft grades: Oakland Raiders

The Oakland Raiders hit a home run with their first round pick but how well did they fare the rest of the 2015 NFL Draft?

Amari Cooper or Leonard Williams?

That was the question being asked inside the Oakland Raiders war room when they were on the clock with the fourth pick in the first round. There was really no wrong answer. Williams was arguably the best talent in the draft after starring at nearby USC the last three seasons and Cooper was the Biletnikoff Winner and could give Derek Carr a No. 1 receiver to work with.

Ultimately, Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie went with Cooper who led the nation with 124 receptions at Alabama last year as the nation’s top receiver. He gives last year’s second round pick, Carr a true No. 1 receiver with a high floor who should dramatically improve the Raider air attack.

With their next nine picks, Oakland spend five of them on players who played college football in the state of Florida. The team’s second round pick was Florida State defensive end Mario Edwards Jr. and he will be a nice player if he keeps his weight around the 275 mark vs. in the 300-pound range he played at last year.

They went back to offense with their third and fourth round picks in Clive Walford and Jon Feliciano, both from Miami. Walford is arguably the most complete tight end in the class despite his 4.79 speed. Feliciano played tackle at Miami but projects as a guard for the Raiders. I like that they’re protecting Carr and surrounding him with weapons.

Oakland spent their next three picks on linebackers with Kansas inside linebacker Ben Heeney, Florida outside linebacker Neiron Ball and Virginia inside linebacker Max Valles. I like Heeney the most out of the three and he was a two-year captain at Kansas so I like the leadership he provides and he is a capable defender against the run. Ball has major durability concerns, but he’s a guy who has overcome a lot of tragedy in his life and is a hard worker, so if he can stay healthy he could be a good guy to have in the locker room.

With their three picks in the seventh round, Oakland added offensive tackle Anthony Morris from Tennessee State to see if he can stick around and add depth to the line, Florida wide receiver and returner Andre Debose and Kansas cornerback Dexter McDonald. DeBose is an intriguing pick because he’s got the ability to help as a returner if he can ever stay healthy, something he had trouble doing at Florida.

Overall, I love what Oakland did in getting Cooper and the thought process to get Carr some weapons to throw to and some big bodies to help protect him.

Grade: B+

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