Las Vegas Raiders 2019 rookie grades: Josh Jacobs stars, Maxx Crosby breaks out
The Las Vegas Raiders, then in Oakland, had three first-rounders and eight overall picks in the 2019 NFL Draft. How did the rookies grade out in year one?
Bringing in general manager Mike Mayock to join the Jon Gruden brain-trust with the now-Las Vegas Raiders (then Oakland) in the 2019 offseason added a lot of excitement for the silver and black. Not only was a famed draft analyst entering the fray but he was doing so as the Raiders owned three first-round picks courtesy of the Khalil Mack and Amari Cooper trades in the 2019 NFL Draft.
Even with that draft class though, the Raiders were still expected to be a project. The jury was still out on Derek Carr, the Antonio Brown trade blew up in their face (and cost them a third-round pick, among more draft capital) and there were still major holes to fill. Yet, Gruden proved his merits as a veteran head coach, getting the Raiders in playoff contention until late in the season.
While the Raiders fell short of the postseason, going 7-9 and faltering down the stretch, they now move to Las Vegas from Oakland with a ton of optimism about what this team can accomplish. Who knows what happens at quarterback with Carr but he performed well enough in 2019 while tight end Darren Waller emerged as a star, as did some other players.
Some of the other breakout stars were part of that highly intriguing rookie class. Other rookies, however, didn’t live up to their billing. Let’s take a look at how all eight Raiders rookies from the 2019 NFL Draft graded out in year one.
Clelin Ferrell, DE (Round 1, Pick 4)
Admittedly, Clelin Ferrell came out of Clemson into a tough situation, which is honestly the fault of the Raiders. The perception when he was picked at No. 4 overall was that Mayock and Gruden reached to grab him and, as such, he needed to be Khalil Mack-like to live up to those expectations.
Instead, Ferrell largely looked like the reach that many perceived him to be. In his rookie season, the Clemson product managed 38 total tackles and 4.5 sacks, which isn’t horrible. However, when he was brought in to be a pass-rusher to revamp the defensive front, the fact that he registered a sack in only three games in year one is quite troubling.
Ferrell did seem to be more effective as the year progressed, which is favorable to his long-term projection with the Raiders. But based on where he was drafted and what he delivered, his grade for his rookie campaign is less than favorable.
Grade: D