Raiders have found recent NFL draft sweet spot in middle rounds – NFL Nation

HENDERSON, Nev. — Whereas we have already addressed the Las Vegas Raiders‘ total draft woes of late — solely six of their 68 draft picks from 2012-19 have been signed to second consecutive contracts and simply three of their first-round draft picks since 2005 have been signed to extensions — there was a shiny spot.

As in … a silver lining to a decidedly black cloud.

As a result of for each JaMarcus Russell, Rolando McClain, D.J. Hayden and Gareon Conley as first-round flops, the Raiders have unearthed midround gems akin to defensive sort out Justin Ellis, defensive finish Maxx Crosby, receiver Hunter Renfrow and cornerback Nate Hobbs.

Name it a sure candy spot.

And because the Raiders wouldn’t have a range on this 12 months’s draft till the third spherical at No. 86 total — the first- and second-round picks went to the Green Bay Packers for receiver Davante Adams — the problem for the brand new regime of basic supervisor Dave Ziegler and coach Josh McDaniels is to maintain that pluck (luck?) going.

Good factor Ziegler believes this 12 months’s draft has high quality depth, then, proper?

“I feel while you discover gamers within the midrounds that finally become core contributors in your crew, there is a degree of satisfaction find these guys as a result of … there’s all the time the type of the gamers which have risen to the highest for one cause or one other,” Ziegler mentioned at his latest pre-draft media convention.

“Not that each one these gamers pan out. We all know that they do not.”

As such, Ellis was taken within the fourth spherical at No. 107 total in 2014 by the regime of GM Reggie McKenzie and coach Dennis Allen and performed 5 years for the Raiders. Crosby (fourth spherical, No. 106 in 2019), Renfrow (fifth spherical, No. 149 in 2019) and Hobbs (fifth spherical, No. 167 in 2021) have been chosen by coach Jon Gruden and GM Mike Mayock.

Ellis has continued to supply, having spent the previous three seasons with the Baltimore Ravens earlier than signing with the New York Giants this spring. Crosby, the defensive MVP of the newest Professional Bowl, simply inked a four-year, $94 million extension with the Raiders on March 11 after racking up 25 sacks in his first three seasons and main the NFL with 108 complete pressures this previous season, per Professional Soccer Focus.

Renfrow can also be in line for a brand new deal after catching 103 passes in 2021, the second-highest single-season complete by a receiver in franchise historical past behind the 104 receptions Corridor of Famer Tim Brown had in 1997. Hobbs was PFF’s highest-graded cornerback when lined up within the slot final season with a grade of 81.5.

Yeah, these are basis items, gamers the Raiders discovered on Day 3 of the draft.

The New England Patriots additionally had success with Day 3 finds throughout Ziegler’s time within the Patriots’ personnel division. Since he was employed by New England in 2013, the Patriots have discovered gamers akin to working again James White (fourth spherical, 2014), defensive finish Trey Flowers (fourth spherical, 2015), guard Shaq Mason (fourth spherical, 2015), guard Ted Karras (sixth spherical, 2016), defensive finish Deatrich Wise Jr. (fourth spherical, 2017), guard Mike Onwenu (sixth spherical, 2020) and working again Rhamondre Stevenson (fourth spherical, 2021) on the ultimate day of the draft.

Once more, until the Raiders commerce up into the primary or second spherical — “All the time an opportunity for a commerce,” Ziegler mentioned with a smile — his regime will once more must make its hay late in these center rounds.

And preserve this in thoughts — Ziegler reiterated McDaniels’ philosophy of drafting the very best participant out there, no matter place.

“I imply, if we draft three [players] in the identical place in a row, as a result of they’re clearly the three finest gamers when it is our flip to draft, I imply, you make a power stronger,” McDaniels mentioned on the NFL house owners conferences final month.

The Raiders’ largest strengths are on the offensive ability positions and their pass-rushers, positions that would be the most sought-after within the early rounds. So maybe high quality gamers at their largest positional wants of offensive line and cornerback can nonetheless be present in these center rounds.

Plug-and-play guys? It labored for Ellis, Crosby, Renfrow and Hobbs, and keep in mind, Ziegler lauded the depth of this draft.

“You are judged on the personnel aspect by the gamers that you simply draft and the way effectively they produce and the kinds of gamers that they flip into for the group,” Ziegler mentioned. “And so, there is a aggressive side of eager to draft gamers. You need each single draft decide and each single participant that you simply signal, you need that participant to supply and overproduce in a great scenario.

“Yeah, we need to have an amazing draft. Positive, you need to be often called a crew that drafts effectively and that develops expertise and all these kinds of issues. No matter spherical that’s, we need to make it possible for we’re in a position to do this.”