Oakland Raiders: One Year Later, Grading The 2016 Draft Class

Jihad Ward

It was clear that the Raiders were targeting their weaknesses early in the draft, when they selected back to back defensive players in the first two rounds. With the 44th pick, McKenzie grabbed defensive lineman Jihad Ward, out of Illinois.

The selection of Ward seemed to be a head-scratcher at the time, considering Ward was labeled as a “project” or as a player who was “raw” by numerous draft analysts. Which is not normally a time to select these types of players.

When Mario Edwards Jr. went down with an injured hip in the preseason, Ward was essentially thrown to the wolves, and had to learn on the fly. As a result, Ward struggled mightily, and was basically a non-factor for the entire season.

Jihad finished his rookie season with 30 total tackles and 1 fumble recovery. Not the ideal numbers or impact you’d expect out of your second round pick.

Ward clearly has a ton of work to do in order to prove that he is worth his draft slot. With Edwards Jr. coming back fully healthy next season, it’s safe to expect Ward to take a backseat, while he continues to work on his craft and improve his game.

Grade: D

 Shilique Calhoun

For the third consecutive round, the Raiders went defense, and drafted pass rusher Shilique Calhoun out of Michigan State with the 75th overall pick.

Calhoun seemed to be more of a polished prospect who fit the bill for McKenzie with his leadership experience and professionalism. He seemed to fit the new “Raider image” that the team was building.

Unfortunately, Shilique was somewhat of a disappointment in his rookie campaign. Although Calhoun only saw the field on rare occasions, he did not seem to offer a whole lot in those opportunities. He struggled to get off blocks, and did not make any splash plays.

An injury cut his season short, and Calhoun finished with a mere 10 total tackles, 0.5 sacks, and 1 pass defensed.

Grade: D+

Connor Cook

In the fourth round, Reggie McKenzie did something very rare. He traded up in the draft, and with the 100th pick, he selected quarterback Connor Cook out of Michigan State.

This was another pick that raised some eyebrows, because most thought the quarterback position was already decided with Derek Carr, and the backup position was set with Matt McGloin.

Cook was a healthy scratch for nearly the entire season, until he was thrust into action on relatively short notice.

In Week 16, Derek Carr went down with a broken fibula, and in came McGloin. But after an awful performance, as well as a bum shoulder, McGloin was pulled for fourth-round pick.

In Cook’s limited time in Week 17, he showed some poise against one of the best defenses in the league in the Denver Broncos. Cook finished 14 of 21 for 150 yards, 1 touchdown, and 1 interception. He flashed on some nice throws, but also made several near-crucial mistakes.

With McGloin still ailing — and even if he were healthy, Cook surely would have started anyway — the Michigan State product made the first start of his NFL career. In the playoffs, on the road, against the number one defense in the league. He became the first player in NFL history to make his first ever start in a playoff game.

Against Houston, Cook looked like a lost puppy, finishing 18 of 45 for 141 yards, 1 touchdown, and 3 interceptions. And truthfully, the game looked even uglier than the stat line indicates.

To be fair, Cook deserves the benefit of the doubt in this situation. Against a tough defense with little preparation time, it was an uphill battle from the start.

I would expect Cook’s development to continue to progress, and for him to become a serviceable backup to Derek Carr.

Grade: N/A