Mike Mayock may have been the Oakland Raiders most impactful addition

The Oakland Raiders made a lot of transactions in the offseason, but the most important and impactful one is the general manager, Mike Mayock.

There is no dancing around it, the first year of Jon Gruden’s return to the Oakland Raiders was a disaster. After what was essentially a complete re-structure of the roster, the team was the oldest in the NFL yet finished with a 4-12 record, and it appeared as if no one in the organization was able to keep the coach in check. However, this past offseason the Raiders got their knight in shining armor, Mike Mayock.

After spending years as a draft analyst, Oakland gave Mayock a chance to prove that he is more than just a talking head on television. So far that decision has paid dividends for the Silver and Black.

During the draft, the general manager was successfully able to keep the head coach’s emotions in check. Reports are the Raiders had the opportunity to move up eight spots and take running back Josh Jacobs – who they eventually took with the 24th overall pick – and Gruden wanted to pull the trigger. Mayock trusted his gut, kept the head coach’s emotions in check, and the Raiders got their guy without having to make any sacrifices.

A similar situation occurred when the team was looking into acquiring wide receiver Antonio Brown. Gruden was pushing Mayock to give up the team’s second-round pick for the former All-Pro, but the GM stood his ground. Oakland would go on to select cornerback Trayvon Mullen with the pick and of course, Brown didn’t exactly pan out.

While it may not be his most tangible trait, Mayock’s calming presence has helped balance Gruden’s irrational and emotional decision-making which the Raiders were missing a year ago.

The former Analyst’s level head is great, but it ultimately means nothing if he doesn’t make the draft selections count. Luckily for Oakland Mayock appears to be a draft guru.

As mentioned above, the Raiders spent one of their three first-round picks on the University of Alabama product, Josh Jacobs. The rookie running back ranks fourth in the NFL for rushing yards with 923, has seven rushing touchdowns, and looks destined to become the offensive rookie of the year. Not too shabby for a late first-round pick.

One selection doesn’t make the draft a good one for a general manager. At least a few mid to late-round gems are required to praise a GM for his work. In his first season, Mayock has taken a few trips to the jewelry store.

Against the Bengals, second-round pick Trayvon Mullen and fourth-rounder Maxx Crosby put together the best game of their young careers as both are included in Pro Football Focus’ team of the week. While week 11 was a standout performance, both players have been key contributors throughout the year.

Since becoming the starter in week eight, Mullen allows a passer rating of 79.7 when targeted and has four pass breakups. As for Crosby, his six and a half sacks ranks third among rookies, and he leads the team with 10 tackles for loss.

Oh, and let’s not forget Hunter Renfrow, who has compiled 19 catches for 250 yards and two touchdowns in the last four weeks, or Foster Moreau whose four receiving touchdowns are tied for second among rookies, or Alec Ingold who has scored or moved the chains every time has touched the ball.

In case anyone needs more evidence on how prolific the Raiders 2019 draft class is, ESPN’s Field Yates shared a few statistics that depict the group’s dominance.

Between playing the role of Gruden’s voice of reason and hitting on multiple draft picks, Mayock deserves a lot of credit for Oakland’s status as a playoff contender. For an organization that is typically playing for pride and draft position this time of year, being in the postseason conversation is a significant accomplishment.

Raider Nation should get used to this because the team holds six draft picks in the first four rounds of the upcoming draft, and clearly the general manager knows how to make the most of those selections.