Gruden: We wanted to draft Derwin James
Oakland Raiders head coach Jon Gruden is already admitting he didn't get the guy he wanted most in his first draft since leaving the broadcast booth.
Gruden signed a reported 10-year, $100-million contract to return to the Raiders' sidelines this offseason, and in April's draft, he used his first-round pick on tackle Kolton Miller.
"We wanted to take Derwin James," Gruden said on a teleconference Wednesday, according to NFL.com's Herbie Teope. "Everybody wanted Derwin James."
Gruden had his sights set on the versatile safety out of Florida State but the Raiders had selected a safety in the previous two drafts. Oakland took Karl Joseph in the first round of the 2016 draft and picked Obi Melifonwu with its 2017 second-round pick.
So the Raiders pivoted to Miller, and James went off the board two picks later to the Los Angeles Chargers.
Through his first four games, James has established himself as an early contender for Defensive Rookie of the Year. He leads the Chargers in tackles (26), sacks (three), and pass breakups (six).
He'll get a chance to show his wears to Gruden and Co. when the two teams meet on Sunday.
"He is a dynamite young player and he'll be one of the building blocks in L.A. for a long time for the Chargers," Gruden said.