Raiders GM Tom Telesco Addresses 'Coin Flip' Draft Night Claim

A potential draft pick for the Las Vegas Raiders claimed he was told the team held a coin flip to decide between drafting him or Brock Bowers. Raiders GM Tom Telesco refuted that story.

Feb 27, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Las Vegas Raiders general manager Tom Telesco on the SiriusXM / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Heading into the NFL Draft, many believed the Las Vegas Raiders would use the 13th overall draft pick to select an offensive lineman or a cornerback.

Once multiple top offensive linemen were selected before the Raiders were to choose, the Raiders had to decide whether to draft an offensive lineman, a cornerback, or go in a different direction. 

As draft day approached, many mock drafts had the Raiders selecting cornerback Terrion Arnold from Alabama. However, the Raiders would select tight end Brock Bowers from Georgia. Arnold would later claim he received a call from a Raiders coach telling him they had a "coin toss" to decide between drafting him and Bowers.

Raiders general manager Tom Telesco disputed that story.

"Typically, I use a magic 8-ball and not a coin," Telesco jokingly said when he joined "NFL Total Access" on Thursday. "But no, part of that draft process, and we do this really two weeks, we'll go through all the different scenarios of what could happen in the first round and how we would react to is and discuss it.”

After most of the first six picks of the draft went as expected, multiple picks after that included surprise picks from teams in front of the Raiders. When teams are on the clock to make their selection, there usually isn’t much time for lots of discussion, and the Raiders leaned on their preparation leading up to the draft to confidently select Bowers.

“When you're picking 13, there aren't that many scenarios to go through," Telesco said. "So, obviously, we had gone through the scenario of players being gone and Brock Bowers is there, and we discussed in a small group -- if that happened like, hey, we're gonna take Brock. So, we had gone through the process.

"On draft day, certainly in the first round and a little bit in the second round, there's not a whole lot of discussion when you're on the clock because you've already gone through the scenario of what could play out and what you're going to do. So that's what happened with Brock."

The Raiders selected the best player available when it was their turn to choose at No. 13. Although cornerback was a need leading up to the draft and still technically is, Telesco made it clear the Raiders are happy with who they got in the first round.

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