As an Oakland Raiders fan, I look forward to the draft every year. From 2005 to 2011 it was always “Lets see how we can mess this top pick up…. again.” Since the passing of Al Davis and the signing of Reggie McKenzie as GM, this is my favorite time of the year. I’m not old enough to really appreciate all of the things that Al Davis did for the organization (and for the NFL), but I absolutely respect the man. I’ve seen the history of the Raiders and who they once were. One of the most feared teams on the field. I have been dreaming of that and the way Reggie McKenzie has been drafting and signing players is getting me excited for the Raiders future. Last year it was Khalil Mack, Derek Carr, Jelly Ellis, and T.J. Carrie who became starters for the team and did well. Mack pressured quarterbacks but unfortunately didn’t have the help on the opposite side… which brings me to this years draft.
Round 1 begins and Jameis Winston is selected. Next goes Marcus Mariota. This is it… Jags are taking Leonard Williams and going ruin my night. BOOM! Jags take Dante Fowler. My mouth was watering for Williams. A beast defensive lineman who can easily make himself, and Mack, stars. Then I heard it… “With the 4th overall pick, the Oakland Raiders select Amari Cooper…” My heart sank. My buddy sitting across from me goes “You didn’t want him?” and I said “To be honest, I really wanted Williams if he was available. If I had to pick one or the other, it was Williams.” I wasn’t pissed, I’m glad Carr has a toy to play with. It was like when you were 16 (yeah I was that age when this happened so shut up!) and your father says you’re going to get a cell phone. So I go looking up all these cool cell phones. A camera is a must. Must be color screen too. Then he gets me the plain black and yellow Nextel that had the rubber around it so it wouldn’t break. Moral of the story… I got what I wanted…but not what I really wanted. And I was okay with that.
Round 2 began and the Raiders are up and they select Defensive Lineman Mario Edwards Jr. I didn’t know much about him so I watch the highlights and search him up afterward. Found out hes a versatile lineman who can play End or Defensive Tackle and is a great run stopper. Something Oakland has been missing for a long time. Pairing him up with Jelly Ellis inside and using his as an end in passing situations really made me excited about the Cooper pick. The Raiders got a top defensive lineman as well as the best wideout in the draft.
Round 3 comes and the Raiders select Clive Walford. Really puzzled about this one. Not knowing anything at all, I immediately look him up. First 3 highlights I saw of him were him dominating in the run game. “HOLY SHIT!” I thought, “A blocking tight end who can catch. Nice knowing you, Mychal Rivera!” Although I’ll always remember Rivera for scoring a TD and his hot sister dancing on camera in her Raiders hat and jersey. I live in New York so I don’t get to see pretty raiders fans often.
Overall, I am very satisfied with how the draft has turned out. I’ve been believing in Reggie McKenzie since the day he was hired. I respect the Packers organization and love the way Ted Thompson built that team. Reggie, who worked under Thompson, brought that knowledge to Oakland. And I am thankful for that. DRAFT GRADE SO FAR: A
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