Mike Mayock has made four draft picks as the general manager of the Oakland Raiders, and three of them came from the 2019 CFP national title game.
When the Oakland Raiders selected Clemson edge rusher Clelin Ferrell with the No. 4 overall pick, it was seen as a bit of a reach. However, Ferrell is a special player, and he was rated just behind Nick Bosa from Ohio State on Mike Mayock’s draft board when it came to the position.
Josh Allen was considered the No. 2 edge rusher on many boards, so when the time came to pick at No. 4, and he was still on the board, the thought was the Raiders would take him. By the time the smoke clears, Oakland fans are going to be happy they got Ferrell, as he absolutely blew up Jonah Williams from Alabama in the national title game, a game that Mayock certainly had his eyes on.
The 2019 College Football Playoff National Championship Game took place on January 7, which was exactly one week after Mayock was hired as the Raiders general manager. Sporting a backpack, and taking arduous notes, Mayock saw some incredible talent on that night, and it must have stuck with him over the past three and change months.
After drafting Ferrell at No. 4, the Raiders went back to the talent that was in that game, selecting a player who played on the other side of the ball against Ferrell. That player was Josh Jacobs from Alabama, who is the kind of three-down feature back that head coach Jon Gruden absolutely loves.
Later in round one, Oakland chose Mississippi State’s Johnathan Abram, adding the best safety in the draft class, and the only current 2019 draft pick who did not play in the national title game.
On Friday, the Raiders traded back twice, before settling in on the No. 40 overall pick. With that selection, Mayock and company took Clemson cornerback Trayvon Mullen, who not only played in the national title game, but also was the game’s Defensive Most Valuable Player.
Based on what we have seen so far, Mayock certainly got a lot out of that first week on the job, and while the combine and Pro Days have been added to his research, one can only wonder if the play on the field that night stuck with him. These are three guys that Mayock views as “foundational players,” so the trip to Levi Stadium was definitely worth it.