The Oakland Raiders 2016 NFL draft plans were going perfectly smooth until they came on the clock and selected safety Karl Joseph at 14th overall, which was widely viewed as a reach.
Credit to the Oakland Raiders for getting the player they wanted at 14th overall. They were bold and selected Karl Joseph, a safety from West Virginia who figures to be a quality player for a defense that has been much improved in recent years.
And yet this is a pick that you must work to be enthusiastic about.
Related Story: 2016 Draft's first overall selection instant analysis
It isn’t that Joseph won’t be a good player. Taking from his NFL.com profile by Lance Zierlein:
"Fiercely competitive with immense football character. Different teams may have differing opinions of how best to utilize him, but Joseph has proven he can make plays in man coverage or play disciplined enough to be trusted on the back. His average size and subsequent durability will concern some teams due to his aggressive, attacking demeanor; however, Joseph is talented enough to become an early starter and high-impact safety down the road if the medicals check out."
Zierlein had Joseph pegged as a second- or third-round pick.
Looking elsewhere online, Pro Football Focus posted on Twitter immediately following the selection:
Oakland takes the top safety on PFF's draft board, Karl Joseph. #RaidersDraft pic.twitter.com/jZpgCp8rNl
— PFF (@PFF) April 29, 2016
FanSided’s NFL Mocks profile by George Stockburger on Joseph states:
"Prior to his injury, Karl Joseph was a lock to be selected on day two of the NFL Draft. With his injury mid-way though the season and most likely not being able to perform at the Combine, Joseph will most likely slip into day three. If he can recover from his injury, Karl Joseph can undoubtedly be a starting strong safety in the NFL. If he can stay on his feet and not make overly-aggressive hits that will draw flags, he will have a long NFL career."
Bottom line: Joseph has question marks all over and is a bit of a gamble as a pick. He’d be a gamble if selected in rounds two or three and would be a better overall value in the later rounds.
Yet the Raiders selected him 14th overall.
That move is a clear reach and it’s tough to argue against it. Despite impressive talent, Joseph has too much uncertainty to warrant such a valuable selection in the middle of the first round. This isn’t what Oakland Raiders fans want to hear right on the heels of their first round selection, but at this point in time it is the most prevalent consensus.
With Jalen Ramsey off the board to the Jacksonville Jaguars at fifth overall, it would have been surprising to see any safety selected before the final picks of the first round or the top of the second. The Raiders could have done much more with their selection by going after another position, especially with the fall of linebacker Myles Jack.
More nfl spin zone: Joey Bosa is a safe and promising selection
After so many quality drafts under Reggie McKenzie, it’s tough to immediately call this a poor pick but it is certainly a head scratcher. Hopefully it turns out as well as the Raiders seem to think it will.