2015 NFL Draft: Does Reggie McKenzie Have a ‘Type’?
Reggie McKenzie’s Draft History
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
McKenzie’s first draft as head-man in 2012 didn’t go so well. The Raiders didn’t have a pick until the third round, and this is how the draft ended up:
3. Tony Bergstrom, OT, Utah
4. Miles Burris, LB, San Diego State
5a. Jack Crawford, DE, Penn State
5b. Juron Criner, WR, Arizona
6. Christo Bilukidi, DT, Georgia State
7. Nathan Stupar, LB, Penn State
Yikes. Only Bergstrom and Burris remain on the team, but if they weren’t employed by Oakland, it’s no sure thing they’d be on a roster elsewhere.
2013 was much better, especially in the late rounds. Murray is the pSPARQ standout, registering one of the best RB scores ever.
1. DJ Hayden, CB, Houston
2. Menelik Watson, T, Florida State
3. Sio Moore, LB, Connecticut
4. Tyler Wilson, QB, Arkansas
6a. Nick Kasa, TE, Colorado
6b. Latavius Murray, RB, Central Florida
6c. Mychal Rivera, TE, Tennesee
6d. Stacy McGee, DT Oklahoma
7a. Brice Butler, WR, San Diego State
7b. David Bass, DE, Missouri Western State
2014 is arguably the best draft of any team that year, with McKenzie nailing the first four picks, and picking up TJ Carrie in the 7th was a steal.
1. Khalil Mack, LB, Buffalo
2. Derek Carr, QB, Fresno State
3. Gabe Jackson, G, Mississippi State
4a. Justin Ellis, DT, Louisiana Tech
4b. Keith McGill, CB, Utah
7a. TJ Carrie, CB, Ohio
7b. Shelby Harris, DE, Illinois State
7c. Jonathan Dowling, S, Western Kentucky
14 of McKenzie’s 24 total selections were on the defensive side of the ball. The rest were offense, no special teams.
He has selected an offensive lineman in the first two rounds twice, and then last year the team took one in the third round. Nine of out McKenzie’s 24 total selections have addressed the front seven, so the trenches are a clear priority.
Only two WRs have been drafted by McKenzie: Criner in the 5th and Butler in the 7th. Only one RB has been selected, which was Latavius in the 6th. So skill positions don’t seem to be of high importance.
Also, in 2014, every player drafted except for Ellis and McGill were Team Captains.
One other thing to note is McKenzie doesn’t shy away from taking players with some off-field issues, at least in mid-to-late rounds. McGee, McGill, Harris and Dowling all had off-field issues that caused their stock to drop.
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So combining these preferences with the pSPARQ rankings, we can at least make an educated guess as to what the Raiders draft haul will look like.
I’d guess four out of seven players will be on the defensive side of the ball. Five of the seven will be former team captains, and five of the seven will also test above average in pSPARQ.
The other two picks will be players whose stock has taken a hit due to some off-field issues, but they won’t get drafted until after round five. Josh Shaw, Frank Clark and DaVaris Daniels come to mind as plus athletes with some off-field issues that McKenzie might take a flier on.
Shaw and Clark will likely go earlier than round five, but Daniels is projected to go late.
And then from slide one, we’ll see by the weekend if any of the 13 players that were cross-matched end up wearing silver and black.
What are your thoughts on Reggie McKenzie’s “type”? Who are your best guesses for the Raiders draft picks? Let us know what you think in the comments below!