2020 NFL Draft: Grades for all 32 first-round picks
Pick Analysis. Damon Arnette. player. 28. Scouting Report. Cornerback. Ohio State. 19
Grade: D
We all knew the Raiders wanted to address the cornerback position. With the run of cornerbacks earlier in the round, though, it seems as though Jon Gruden and Mike Mayock got a bit desperate in upgrading a spot that was a real problem throughout the 2020 campaign.
As desperate as they may have been, drafting Damon Arnette at No. 19 overall was not the way to go. Most folks didn’t see him as being anywhere near worthy of a first-round pick — instead, he often fell in the third- or fourth-round range. He doesn’t have the athleticism, measurables or instincts that you’d expect from a Day 1 cornerback prospect.
And yet, here were are discussing him as the latest likely busted cornerback for the Raiders. They haven’t done a great job of drafting cover guys in recent history, and I don’t see that changing with the selection of Arnette.
The Raiders easily could have waited a round (or two) to grab Arnette. There were better cornerbacks on the board, and the Raiders missed on this one.