Jon Gruden a fan of Derek Carr
It was reported earlier today that Jon Gruden urged the Oakland Raiders to draft Johnny Manziel in the first round of the draft, but Reggie McKenzie decided to take Khalil Mack and Derek Carr in the first two rounds of the draft instead. It was definitely a wise decision, as Mack is the front-runner in the “DROY” race due to his ability to consistently put pressure on the quarterback, and he’s also impressed as a run defender. Mack is a huge difference-maker on defense, and that’s something the Raiders needed badly in the first. And instead of trading up for Manziel, the Raiders stood pat and drafted, in my opinion, a better quarterback in Carr, who has shown plenty of promise so far this season.
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Gruden clearly favors the Raiders more than any other team when it comes to head coaching interest, and there’s a chance the reunion between both parties could finally happen, as the Raiders are looking to nail their next coaching hire after striking out with Dennis Allen.
Although Gruden wanted the Raiders to draft Manziel in the first round, the NFL Network’s Albert Breer reports that he is a big fan of Carr’s game and, like me, believes that the Fresno State product was “underdrafted” this year. There are no guarantees he’s interested in the Raiders head coaching gig, but it will be interesting to see if the ability to bring in a top GM of his choice sways him. The Raiders head coaching search will be an enthralling one, and Gruden is one of the prime candidates if he is indeed interested.