Raiders continue puzzling offseason under Gruden with 2018 draft class
It's been an interesting few months in Oakland.
The Raiders began their offseason by hiring Jon Gruden as the team's next head coach. Gruden had previously coached the Raiders between 1998-2001, and spent the last eight years as a color analyst on ESPN's Monday Night Football broadcast.
Gruden and general manager Reggie McKenzie followed the news up with a number of questionable roster decisions. The Raiders' free-agent haul included Jordy Nelson, Rashaan Melvin, Doug Martin, Tahir Whitehead, Shareece Wright, Marcus Gilchrist, Breno Giacomini, and Kyle Wilber. There's talent in this group, but only Melvin and Whitehead are under 29 years old. The team also cut longtime punter Marquette King in March, and signed cornerback Daryl Worley last week following an arrest as a member of the Philadelphia Eagles.
Needless to say, Gruden's return to the draft at the helm of the Raiders was an important one. Injecting young talent to his roster was vital for the veteran head coach, but we're not sure he succeeded.
Oakland originally held the No. 10 overall selection, but moved down to No. 15, swapping picks with the Arizona Cardinals. Gruden and Co. did well to receive additional picks, but later selected UCLA offensive tackle Kolton Miller.
Miller may end up having a successful NFL career, but the Raiders reached on their first pick, big time. The towering lineman did not appear on NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah's list of Top 50 2018 players, and was Mike Mayock's 31st-ranked prospect. The team had a need at offensive tackle, but there were far superior prospects on the board, including Derwin James, Tremaine Edmunds, Jaire Alexander, and Isaiah Wynn.
Miller has ideal size and athletic traits, but it'll take a great deal of coaching to correct his technical deficiencies. His bust potential is among the highest in this year's first round.
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Day 2 wasn't much better for the Raiders. With a number of high-level prospects on the board, the team drafted defensive tackle P.J. Hall (Sam Houston State) and offensive tackle Brandon Parker (North Carolina A&T) in the second and third rounds, respectively. Similar to Miller, both players possess athletic upside, but both hail from FCS programs, and are seen as raw prospects that could flame out quickly.
Oakland also selected polarizing defensive end Arden Key in the third round. Many expected Key to land on the draft's third day due to multiple off-field concerns, which include leaving LSU before the 2017 season, and entering rehab for a marijuana problem. The Raiders took a massive risk here. And it's not as if the edge-rusher was a blue-chip prospect anyway, as Key tested poorly at the NFL combine, and was inconsistent on tape last season.
On Day 3, the Raiders selected cornerback Nick Nelson and defensive tackle Maurice Hurst with their first-two picks. Nelson tore his meniscus during a pre-draft visit with the Detroit Lions. He should be healthy for the 2018 season, but drafting a cornerback with knee injury history can be troublesome.
As for Hurst, the interior defender had incredible tape and production at Michigan, but a number of NFL teams took him off their boards after he was diagnosed with a heart condition. Hurst could end up as one of the draft's top steals, but could easily be out of the league in short order. At least, for the Raiders, the risk is minimal here as a fifth-rounder.
Oakland's 2018 draft class is the final feather in a puzzling offseason hat under Gruden and McKenzie. With a number of risky selections coupled with multiple head-scratching free-agent signings, Gruden's second tenure with the Raiders may end up shorter than his first.
(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)