May 8, 2014; New York, NY, USA; Khalil Mack (Buffalo) holds up a jersey after being selected as the number five overall pick in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft to the Oakland Raiders at Radio City Music Hall. Mandatory Credit: Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports
Tuesday Morning Note(blog) is a weekly NFL column from Just Blog Baby editor Chase Ruttig.
The 2014 NFL Draft has came and went as the best college football prospects who declared themselves eligible for the draft were selected in what was one of the most watched as well as memorable drafts in history. From Jadeveon Clowney becoming the first defensive player taken with the #1 overall pick since 2006 to Johnny Manziel (and Teddy Bridgewater) falling on Day One to the seminal seventh round when Michael Sam was selected by the St. Louis Rams the NFL Draft wasn’t short on drama and storylines this year.
From an Oakland Raiders standpoint the 2014 Draft went down as a successful one for the first time in many years for the franchise as in the aftermath of the draft general manager Reggie McKenzie have received plenty of praise for the decisions made over the weekend as they addressed several needs. From a potential franchise pass rusher in Khalil Mack to the Friday selection of (hopefully) the Raiders long awaited franchise quarterback in Derek Carr and several value selections in Rounds 3-7, there is mass amounts of enthusiasm around the team heading into OTA’s and the lead up to this summer’s Training Camp leading up to the 2014 season.
With that being said: Here are my notes on the 2014 NFL Draft, both for the Raiders as well as across the league.