2019 NFL Draft: Mike Mayock gets to show his acumen with Raiders

The NFL’s most interesting coach-GM tandem are working to completely rebuild the Oakland Raiders with 3 first round picks.

There’s not a more interesting team in the National Football League during draft weekend than the Oakland Raiders. Not only does having Jon Gruden in charge draw enough of a spotlight, but having Mike Mayock in a general manager’s chair is going to have everyone wondering what Oakland will do.

It also helps when a team has three first-round picks. Of course, the needs in Oakland are that great and this tandem cannot afford to mess up this golden opportunity.

State Of The Team

Rebuilding. The Raiders are certainly in a rebuilding mode, as they have won only ten games in their last two seasons combined. They have gone out and made some big splashes with trades, and free agency already this offseason, adding elite talent to their offense, so defense is where they will likely focus a lot of their early picks this April. Jon Gruden and Mike Mayock have proven to be a solid tandem as head coach and general manager so far, so for once, it looks like the front office knows what they are doing entering a rebuilding year.

Total Draft Picks

The Raiders have eight picks in the 2019 NFL Draft:

• Round 1 (No. 4 overall)
• Round 1 (No. 24 overall)
• Round 1 (No. 27 overall)
• Round 2 (No. 35 overall)
• Round 4 (No. 106 overall)
• Round 5 (No. 140 overall)
• Round 7 (No. 218 overall)
• Round 7 (No. 235 overall)

Top 3 Draft Needs

Edge: The Oakland Raiders managed to register only 13 sacks as a team in 2018, by far the lowest amount of any other team in the NFL. In fact, their leading sack guy last season was rookie defensive tackle Maurice Hurst, as the team showed a serious lack of talent on the edge after Khalil Mack was traded. This has to be the position they target early in round one, and luckily for them, this is a draft class loaded with talent at the position.

Linebacker: The second-worst position group for the Raiders last season was the linebacker group, as only Tahir Whitehead did anything of substance throughout the year. Towards the end of the season, undrafted free-agent rookie Jason Cabinda was starting on the inside, and while he is a good player, he is not starting material yet. Oakland needs to target linebackers, whether on the outside, or inside in the first round, and they should be able to nab a talented guy late in round one.

Cornerback: The Raiders got a great effort from 2017 first rounder Gareon Conley last season, as he emerged as one of the more elite cornerbacks in the AFC West. In addition, they tendered an offer to Daryl Worley this offseason, and the hope he should be back for the team in the starting lineup. While Conley and Worley are nice pieces, this is a position group that needs more depth, and whether it is late in round one, or early in round two, they have to get one of the elite prospects in this draft class at this position.

Top 3 Draft Targets

Decision Maker (Or Who To Blame If Things Go Wrong)

As is the case with anything this franchise does, Jon Gruden will be at the forefront, whether or not this is a successful draft. Sure, Mike Mayock was brought in due to his draft expertise, but Gruden is the final decision maker, and the organization is riding or dying with him for the next decade.

Best/Worst Pick In Current Draft Slot

Historically, who was the best pick and the worst pick based on where the team is currently picking. 

Best Pick:  Charles Woodson, DB, No. 4 overall in 1998 NFL Draft

One of the best players in team history, as well as most beloved, Charles Woodson came to the Raiders after winning a Heisman Trophy at Michigan. Woodson would go on to be the NFL’s Defensive Rookie of the Year, and would go to four straight Pro Bowls in the Silver and Black. He would leave for Green Bay, winning a Super Bowl, but returned to Oakland to finish out his career, making the Pro Bowl in his last season in the league.

Worst Pick: Joe Rutgens, DL, No. 4 overall in 1961 AFL Draft

During the 1961 AFL Draft, the Oakland Raiders selected Joe Rutgens from Illinois, with the plan they would insert him into their starting defensive line for years to come. Unfortunately, the Washington Redskins picked him in the first round of the NFL Draft as well, and he decided to sign with Washington, where he spent his entire NFL career and went to two Pro Bowls.

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