Oakland Raiders: Grading every 2019 NFL Draft pick
The Oakland Raiders first NFL Draft with Mike Mayock as general manager has been under scrutiny, but how did they ultimately fare in 2019?
Though the 2019 NFL Draft was always going to be exciting, it was going to be more so for the Oakland Raiders. Not only did they own three first-round picks, but they also gave hope to draft analysts everywhere heading into the 2019 offseason. In December 2018, the Raiders named NFL Network’s draft guru, Mike Mayock, the new general manager.
That wasn’t all as Oakland also made waves by sending their scouting department home a week prior to the draft. Reports of the incident cited the lack of trust within their scouting department. That all led to Mayock and Jon Gruden taking center stage at the 2019 NFL Draft.
The Raiders went into the draft locked and loaded with nine picks, including those three first-rounders. The pressure was on to not blow it.
Did the dynamic duo of Gruden and Mayock do enough silence the critics? In short, no. On draft day, they made some noise but the critics were hardly silenced. Some questioned value and whether or not they got the ideal prospects.
Mayock and Gruden undoubtedly prepared themselves for the inevitable criticism that follows any picks. It was obvious their big board vastly differed from many of the boards in draft media. Still, the Raiders came away with players that fit the new Oakland Raiders under this duo.
Round 1, Pick 4: Clelin Ferrell, EDGE, Clemson
After trading away Khalil Mack, there was no doubt the Raiders were going to take a pass rusher. Nick Bosa was out of the question, though. If the Raiders wanted him, it wouldn’t have taken a move up to the No. 2 slot. So, with the fourth pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, Raider Nation welcomed Clemson edge rusher Clelin Ferrell to town.
For whatever reason, during the draft process, Ferrell’s name got lost in the shuffle of top edge guys. In fact, it was Josh Allen who earned the No. 2 edge rusher spot on most boards. As a matter of fact, NFL.com Senior Analyst Gil Brandt had Allen ranked as his number three overall prospect. Ferrell ranked 18th.
Josh Allen was the better overall prospect. He’s faster and quicker with an elite first step. However, the scouting world praised Ferrell for character and leadership, qualities that lead to him being taken No. 4 overall by Oakland. On top of that, his power rush ability, first step and heavy hands are plus assets.
Over the course of his career, Ferrell proved he can get to the quarterback. He finished his career with 27 sacks including 11.5 in 2018. For Paul Guenther’s defense, Ferrell is a base end who’ll help out in the run game immediately. His skill-set is similar to Carlos Dunlap, who Guenther coached during his tenure with the Cincinnati Bengals. Ferrell is a good player that can be a foundational piece, but he’s a good, not great player going at No. 4.
Grade: C+