Read on Twitter
I've been thinking about the #Raiders draft since yesterday and wanted to share some thoughts. Thread.
To start, I want to make clear I'm not draft guru nor do I watch much college football. This isn't a thread about the players based on my own viewing of their film or anything like that. It's intended to be a more broad thread on how they fit in.
The goal of this draft was stated multiple times by Mayock - the #Raiders wanted to try to close the gap between their team and the Chiefs. It's clear they came in with an intention to get faster and more physical. The players they chose varied in position, height, etc.
But each of the players have some sort of combination of elite speed and / or an extremely competitive nature. Usually "and".
In addition, the #Raiders have and probably will continue to value players that come from the SEC and from top schools in the SEC at that. Players that start for the highest caliber schools should have a high floor in the NFL. They also know how to win.
Players from smaller schools can certainly know how to win as well but I think it's different when you come from a factory football school. Winning is assumed. The players can probably count the number of times they lost on one hand. It breeds confidence they can pull it out.
In addition, if a player is good enough to be a starter at one of the top 4 football schools in the country, there's a good chance they can compete in the NFL. The best teams are stocked with talent.
Take Damon Arnette, for example. He started 38 games at cornerback at Ohio State University, which just had their 6th cornerback taken in the first round in the last 6 years. They have fantastic CB talent there and he was good enough to start, a lot.
Aside from pedigree, the characteristic that defines this draft class the most is their level of competitiveness. Arnette and Robertson are known for being tough covers even though they may not be as tall as their competition.
John Simpson may not have elite lateral speed but he's tough. He likes to road grade and get physical with DTs. Bryan Edwards uses his body well in traffic to make catches. He's known as a physical WR. Even Ruggs is known for his competitive nature and going up for tough catches.
So this brings us back to the strategy of the Draft. Remember the goal is to beat KC. How does one do that? Clearly Gruden and Mayock decided on "score a lot & get em frustrated on offense" (my words, not theirs)
There hasn't been a defense yet to really have figured out how to beat Mahomes - he's fantastic. So the best way to beat him may well be to throw off the timing to his receivers. That can come from the DL - enter Nassib and Collins in free agency - or from disruptive CB play.
From a CB perspective: If you can't stay with Ruggs deep (and not many can), then maybe you can jam him or bump him and throw him off. Since Kelce is matchup nightmare, maybe eventually you can you get someone with safety speed but a linebacker body (Tanner Muse) to compete.
Finally, the thing the team looked for was versatility. Mayock said it time and again. Ruggs may return kicks as well as be a #1 WR. Muse should be a gunner while learning multiple spots in the LB Corps.
Bowden is the epitome of versatility. The team can do a lot with him on the field from catching passes out of the backfield to running sweeps to playing wildcat or doing RPOs - he can really be a piece to confuse and frustrate defenses.
At the least, the Raiders draft felt like it had a purpose and a plan. I didn't always agree with the selections but who cares? It's at least clear that there was a plan in place. The Raiders have a type of player and they are trying to build a team culture in their new digs.
To wrap I'll just say: I think the team got better and I'm excited to see this team whenever the season starts. It feels like the talent is there to compete for the playoffs and not in a fluke way - there does seem to be a build towards a stronger roster year in and out.
FIN
FIN
