Oakland Raiders: Grading every 2018 NFL Draft pick

Grade: B

Realistically, this was probably a reach for Kolton Miller. I’m not saying the kid doesn’t have first-round talent, but the No. 15 overall pick was a push. Regardless, the Raiders did manage to move down and probably still got the guy they had their eyes on.

That is, after Roquan Smith and Mike McGlinchey came off the board the two picks prior to their original selection. Most of the rumors leading up to Thursday seemed to suggest those were the Raiders’ top two targets at No. 10 overall. So when they were drafted at No. 8 and No. 9, Oakland swapped with the Arizona Cardinals at No. 15.

It was a solid move, seeing as they could wait to land Miller and the move also netted them two extra picks — one which was then traded for Martavis Bryant. So the added value that came from the original No. 10 pick was solid. I’m still somewhat skeptical of the selection of Miller, though.

Don’t get me wrong — the potential is there. He’s an outstanding athlete for an offensive tackle, boasting the movement skills to hang on either side of the front five. With the aging Donald Penn at left tackle and the inept Breno Giacomini on the right side, adding a high-upside prospect like Miller seems like the right move.

Here are my two concerns: 1. Can Miller contribute right away? 2. What about the Oakland defense? Protecting Derek Carr is important, but it won’t matter much if the Raiders still can’t slow anyone down in 2018.