Fansided

2019 NFL Draft grades for all 32 teams

By Conor Dorney

NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - APRIL 25: Daniel Jones of Duke reacts after being chosen #6 overall by the New York Giants during the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft on April 25, 2019 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - APRIL 25: Daniel Jones of Duke reacts after being chosen #6 overall by the New York Giants during the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft on April 25, 2019 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /
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ARLINGTON, TX – DECEMBER 29: Clemson Tigers defensive end Clelin Ferrell (#99) tries to get past the block of Notre Dame Fighting Irish tackle Liam Eichenberg (#74) during the Goodyear Cotton Bowl College Football Playoff Semifinal game between the Clemson Tigers and Notre Dame Fighting Irish on December 29, 2018 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Matthew Visinsky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
ARLINGTON, TX – DECEMBER 29: Clemson Tigers defensive end Clelin Ferrell (#99) tries to get past the block of Notre Dame Fighting Irish tackle Liam Eichenberg (#74) during the Goodyear Cotton Bowl College Football Playoff Semifinal game between the Clemson Tigers and Notre Dame Fighting Irish on December 29, 2018 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Matthew Visinsky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

Oakland Raiders

Grade: C-

Best pick: Trayvon Mullen (CB, Clemson)

Questionable pick: Josh Jacobs (RB, Alabama)

Sleeper pick: Foster Moreau (TE, LSU)

Oh, boy, is there a lot to unpack when it comes to the Oakland Raiders’ 2019 draft. The pre-Daniel Jones shock of the draft came with the fourth overall selection of Clemson’s Clelin Ferrell. I think Ferrell will be a productive player in the NFL, but with needs all over the field and several other outstanding defensive prospects remaining on the board, Ferrell was a huge reach.

One thing that rebuilding teams also probably shouldn’t do is take a running back in the first round, which Oakland did with Alabama’s Josh Jacobs. Jacobs was pretty clearly the top running back in the class, but spending a first round pick on one is still a steep price to pay. We’ve already seen the positional value of running backs diminish over the years and with Chris Warren already on the roster, Jacobs is not the way to go in the first round with so many of other needs remaining.

While I completely understand adding players that fit the culture you’re trying to build, it’s difficult to imagine it helping the win total with three perceived reaches in the first round. I love the selections of Trayvon Mullen and Isaiah Johnson in the secondary, and I think LSU TE Foster Moreau is one of the more underrated tight ends in the class, but it remains to be seen whether the statement Jon Gruden and Mike Mayock made in the first round of this draft will pay off in the forms of wins next season and beyond.

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