Urgent Raiders Issues No. 3: NFL Draft Failures

HENDERSON, Nev.--The Las Vegas Raiders have a long and illustrious record of success and a recent history of failure in the NFL Draft.

The Raiders this season had nearly nothing left with a roster void of the needed depth that separates the NFL contenders from the pretenders.

In fairness to General Manager Dave Ziegler and Coach Josh McDaniels, the vast diabolical NFL drafting happened before they arrived, but they still suffered from it.

Part of the success of the NFL Draft is that you can't miss in the first round. One general manager told me for this article: "NFL first-round picks are like gold, especially the higher up you are. The bad teams seem to always be there because they don't know how to draft."

He went on to add: "You can't miss. You will, but the rule of the first round is that if you aren't certain this guy is a dude, or you trade back."

Let's look at just some of the recent first-round picks.

In 2018, the Raiders took tackle Kolton Miller. It was a great pick, but if you look at the rest of that class, none of them remained. It was a complete failure outside of the first round.

In 2019, the Raiders had three first-round picks.

With their first, they took Clelin Ferrell. It wasn't Ferrell's fault that the Raiders picked him where they did, and he hasn't even come close to the production that his pick would have determined his value. Still a good player, but it was a bad pick for the fourth spot.

Additionally, with the 24th pick, the Raiders took Josh Jacobs. He has been a star and is the reigning NFL rushing leader. In defense of Ziegler and McDaniels, he was often injured and took himself out of the game before this last season. While everyone looks to bemoan the Raiders' failure to pick up his fifth-year option, when you look at his previous campaigns, it was wise at the time.

Finally, in 2019, with the 27th pick in the first round, the Raiders selected a heavy hitter, safety Johnathan Abram. He didn't even finish the season on the roster, but when selected, the Raiders saw his outstanding physical attributes and the vision of what he could develop into.

One NFL Scout told me: "Everyone who scouted Abram in college saw the raw talent of a Jerry Rice. He wasn't Jerry Rice because his head wasn't always in the game, but he had the God-given skills if you could develop him. I guess the Raiders thought they could and they took him long before anyone else. We had him as a third-rounder."

Yet again, the Raiders were reaching, whether arrogance or ignorance, and it was was a wasted pick. Additionally, in that 2019 class, Mike Mayock stole defensive end Maxx Crosby and wide receiver Hunter Renfrow.

Those were two key grabs, but it doesn't excuse a horrible first round with three picks. Tight end Foster Moreau has played, but while he flashed big play potential, nearly every game has had essential drops or penalties that nearly void his contributions.

In the 2020 class, you see the definition of a disastrous NFL Draft class.

In the first round, the Silver and Black selected wide receiver Henry Ruggs. He had zero signs of any off-the-field issues and played superbly for the Silver and Black. We all know that his reckless disregard for others ended in the tragic death of a young lady, and he was subsequently released from the roster and is awaiting trial for her death.

This pick is not on the Raiders. I can tell you that there were no character concerns around the NFL about him, and when he played, he played well.

However, the Raiders selected a defensive back out of Ohio State with the 19th pick, Damon Arnette. I have spoken with multiple NFL teams who didn't even have Arnette on their NFL Draft board due to character concerns.

I sat with most of the nation who had any insight on the draft asking myself on the night of the NFL Draft: "What the hell are they thinking?"

As I was preparing to move to Las Vegas and cover the team, one NFL executive texted me that night: "Good luck covering that s**t show. Dumbest pick ever."

To make matters worse, in 2020, the Raiders, void of a second-round pick, took wide receiver Lynn Bowden in the third round, despite numerous off-the-field issues that they ignored.

It is utterly unacceptable if the reason is arrogance or ignorance with Arnette and Bowden.

In 2021 the Raiders took tackle Alex Leatherwood. In fairness to the Raiders, other teams, including the New England Patriots, wanted to pick Leatherwood in the first round, and the Raiders did, and it was a colossal failure.

The Raiders traded their first-round selection in 2022 for wide receiver Davante Adams, which was a great move. Sparking one friend and NFL executive to tell me: "That is what smart drafters do, and Ziegler is one of those guys. If you can't grab a guy in the first round that you are certain of, trade for a proven player you are. Smart move."

No, the Raiders' woes in the NFL Draft are not the fault of Ziegler and McDaniels. But they are the ones reaping the pain of those failures.

The Raider Nation has reasons to be hopeful in Dave Ziegler's ability to change that, but for now, the reality is the Raiders roster is the way it is because of major NFL Draft failures.

The 2023 NFL Draft will go from April 27-29 and be held at Union Station in Kansas City, Mo. The NFL Scouting Combine is Feb. 28-March 6, 2023, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Ind. On March 7, 2023, before 4 p.m. EST is the club's deadline to designate Franchise or Transition Players.

March 13-15 is the free agent negotiation period. Starting at 12 p.m. EST on March 13 and ending at 3:59:59 p.m. EST on March 15, clubs are permitted to contact and enter into contract negotiations with the certified agents of players who will become Unrestricted Free Agents upon the expiration of their 2022 Player Contracts at 4 p.m. EST on March 15.

The 2023 NFL Year and Free Agency period begins at 4 p.m. EST on March 15. The Raiders are expected to be significant players in the free-agent market this season.

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