Which Raiders draft pick provided the best value?

The Raiders had a haul of nine picks in the 2017 NFL Draft. Which selection offers the best value?

After the conclusion of the 2017 NFL Draft, some fans of the Oakland Raiders loved the picks that were made, while others completely hated the selections. This seems to be the case every year, when you consider how split fans are when it comes to evaluating talent.

If you don’t know already, the picks are listed below.

Assessing value for this draft class seems to be a bit trickier than years past. From top to bottom, it is a very solid class. But which of those picks provides the value?

Before we get to the answer, let’s discuss what “value” means in terms of the NFL Draft.

According to Arif Hasan of zonecoverage.com, “value” is defined as a general concept that can be a useful proxy for using the draft strategically.

A good example of finding “value” in a draft might be thought of as that sixth or seventh round pick that created an impact on an NFL roster, or a player that graded out as one of the better prospects that ended up falling more than you’d think.

While there are a few draft picks that fit this description, Reggie McKenzie being able to grab Obi Melifonwu in the second round (56th overall) is the best value pick of this draft class.

Obi was a player that a lot of people fell in love with due to his off the chart athleticism that he displayed at the NFL Combine. Along with being listed at 6’4″ and 224 lbs., Obi had an insane 44 inch vertical, showed great speed by running a 4.40 in the 40 yard dash, and also had out of this world measurables that are shown below.

Due to his all-world performance at the combine, Obi’s stock dramatically rose. Some mocks (including myself) even had him going in the middle to late first round. Some “draft experts” viewed it as a bit of a reach, but my thinking was that if you passed on him in the first round, it would be doubtful that he would be anywhere near pick #56.

Luckily, the Football Gods gave the Raiders a break, and Obi fell right into their lap in the second round. This was a huge win for Reggie McKenzie and co., as they were strongly considering drafting Obi in the first round, elected to pass, but still were able to get him in the very next round.

If you haven’t seen it already, Ted Nguyen of Just Blog Baby has done an excellent breakdown on Melifonwu. Let’s just say that Raiders fans should be extremely excited for the skill-set that Obi will bring to the safety position.

The coaching staff has been known to bring rookies along slowly, so I would expect Reggie Nelson to come into the season as the starter, and Obi would come in on situational downs. As the 2017 season wanes on, I would not be surprised to see Obi slowly get more and more snaps and eventually mold himself into a full-time starter.

Must Read: McKenzie decided not to reach for a LB

Getting instant impact players in the draft are valued very highly. I believe that Obi pairing up with Karl Joseph in the secondary, will be a duo that Raiders fans can look forward to for the next 8-10 years.