Raiders Cannot Afford to Miss on First-Round Pick

Las Vegas Raiders GM Tom Telesco is tasked with having a successful draft for an organization that has had few of those over the last decade plus.

The Las Vegas Raiders have been anything but lucky regarding their first-round draft picks over the last few seasons. While the Raiders were successful on a few of their first-round picks, they have been largely unsuccessful in drafting in the first round. Most of their successful first-round picks no longer play for the team. 

Other than drafting Kolton Miller in 2017 and Josh Jacobs in 2019, the Raiders have struggled to select players with long-term futures with the team correctly, and Jacobs just left in free agency. Since 2012, other than Miller and Jacobs, the Raiders' best first-round pick was Khalil Mack. 

After that would be Amari Cooper; however, considering Cooper was a receiver drafted fourth overall, his tenure with the team was a disappointment.

Although he had a relatively productive rookie season, the jury is still out on the Raiders' first-round draft pick from last season, Tyree Wilson.  

What must be understood is that the Raiders' draft woes are organizational. There isn’t one singular coach or executive to whom the Raiders’ struggles could be blamed. The Raiders have had multiple head coaches and general managers over the last decade and still have trouble finding first-round picks that stay with them long-term.

To make matters worse, not only do their successful picks rarely stay with them for long, but the Raiders have regularly picked players that do not pan out on the professional level.

The Raiders enter this year’s NFL Draft with a ravaged offensive line unit and multiple other positions on the team that need to be addressed. They currently have the No. 13 pick in the draft and again need an impact player to be added to their roster. As the draft nears, the Raiders can add one of the top players at any of the position groups they prioritize on draft day. 

Regardless of who Las Vegas chooses with their first-round pick, the Raiders cannot afford to pick the wrong player again. Bring up a list of the Raiders' first-round draft picks, and it is evident how many times they have misfired on their first-round pick.

Raiders general manager Tom Telesco has the tall task of finding the best option for the Raiders in the first round, which few Raiders GMs have done over the last few years.

The NFL Draft will be held in Detroit, Mich., on April 25-27, 2024. The Las Vegas Raiders currently have the No. 13 overall pick.

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