Grading The Oakland Raiders 2017 Draft

Round 4, 129th Overall – David Sharpe, OT, Florida

After going defense in the first three rounds, McKenzie changed it up a bit in the fourth, adding former Florida offensive tackle David Sharpe.

With the right tackle spot still being a question mark despite the better than expected play from Vadal Alexander and Denver Kirkland, McKenzie felt it necessary to add another tackle to the mix. Or maybe not.

Sharpe started 26 games at left tackle for the Gators, and given his draft slot, this seems like the spot for him. In the short-term, he could serve as the backup left tackle while he groomed to be the long-term replacement to Donald Penn. As opposed to giving Sharpe reps at right tackle, the team could let that battle pan out between Alexander, Kirkland, Austin Howard and Marshall Newhouse, and let Sharpe focus on improving as a left tackle.

There were reports that he is legally blind in his right eye, but Sharpe was adamant those rumors weren’t true. There aren’t any reports of this, but it’s probably safe to say the Raiders tested this before making the pick. Ironically, Sharpe was the blindside protector for Jack’s son, Luke, at Florida.

That sounds like a good plan, but personally, I’m not a big fan of Sharpe’s game. He’s a poor athlete, which is definitely a big deal for left tackles. On film, he looks as stiff as can be, and his footwork is all over the place. He seems like he was a long way to go to be a successful left tackle. And if the team did draft him to be a right tackle, it just seems like poor value.

Grade: C

Round 5, 168th Overall – Marquel Lee, LB, Wake Forest

Four rounds in the books, and the hysteria among Raider Nation began to reach full force. McKenzie had yet to draft a linebacker, and the people started to panic.

The Raiders passed on Reuben Foster in Round 1, and Jarrad Davis was already off the board. Raekwon McMillan was gone in Round 2, and the team went with Obi Melifonwu instead of Zach Cunningham (who isn’t very good, by the way). McKenzie picked Vanderdoes over Blair Brown in Round 3 and David Sharpe over Brown once again (as well as Anthony Walker Jr.) in Round 4.

But in Round 5, McKenzie ended the calls to draft a linebacker by way of Marquel Lee out of Wake Forest.

Lee is a 6’3″ 240 pound thumper and a quality thumper that has a shot to earn the starting inside linebacker job. He’s excellent coming downhill, he can hold his own in zone coverage, and he is a good enough athlete to stick as a capable starter.

His man cover skills are certainly questionable, and isn’t always quick to diagnose and react to plays, but he checked all of McKenzie’s boxes and is a player they had their eye on. He’s not a well-known player, but he could end up being the most pleasant surprise from this draft class.

Grade: B+

Round 7, 221st Overall – Shalom Luani, S, Washington State

Shalom Luani jumped onto the radar of Raider Nation when word got out that he would be visiting the Raiders. And on that visit, Luani impressed enough to end up as McKenzie’s first pick in Round 7.

In two seasons at Washington State, Luani earned the reputation of a playmaker, picking off 4 passes in each season — a trait McKenzie pointed to in his post-draft press conference.

He’s undersized for the position and there are mixed opinions on his tackling ability, but he has the makeup of a player who can be a special teams ace. And at the worst, he’ll slot in as special teams depth. In the 7th round, that’s not bad.

Grade: B-