Measuring the Raiders' Under-25 Talent
It's often the case that NFL teams that sustain the most success over the years can continually identify young and affordable impact players in the draft.
Organizations with young talent at critical positions, like at quarterback, can more easily fill holes and likely put themselves in a better place to contend.
When it comes to the Las Vegas Raiders' young talent, they're perceived to be more in the middle of the pack. ESPN came out with a recently ranked list of every team under-25-year-old talent level, and they had the Raiders at No. 16.
As you would expect for a ranking like that, there's a fair amount of criticism mixed in.
Let's start with the positives, though. Writer Scott Spratt said that Coach Jon Gruden and General Manager Mike Mayock, "deserve credit for their talent evaluation in the later rounds." He correctly points out recent rookies' success in Maxx Crosby, Hunter Renfrow, and Foster Moreau, who were all able to contribute to the Raiders last year.
Spratt also mentioned previous high picks such as left tackle Kolton Miller and Trayvon Mullen, who have played well. The more critical aspects though, come in regards to the team's first-round picks over the last two years.
The first name mentioned is defensive end Clelin Ferrell, the former fourth overall pick who, according to Spratt had, "a modest rookie season with 17 hurries, 12 fewer than the next pass- rusher off the board and many analysts' preferred choice, Josh Allen."
That term, "preferred choice," could be used in describing how the rest of the Raiders picks entered into question. Most notably in this year's draft, Henry Ruggs III and Damon Arnette were both looked as reaches by different analysts.
Even taking Josh Jacobs in the first round in 2019 was called into question because, as Spratt put it, "even talented running backs might not warrant the first-round draft picks."
The only way anyone will know if Jacobs and all of the other Raiders picks were worth it is time, honestly. There have been plenty of high round picks that analysts thought were no-brainers who ended up being busts, and there have been plenty of players who analysts might've thought we're over-drafted and ended up performing to expectations.
All we can do is wait and see. It wouldn't be fair to anyone, be it the Raiders, the Raider Nation fans, and analysts alike, to judge the team's plan too early before seeing how these players pan out. They may very well fail, but at the very least, they deserve an opportunity to show that they have what it takes to lead the Raiders back to glory.
Tell us what you think in the comment section below.
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