Oakland Raiders Mike Mayock in prime position for Executive of the Year award

In Mike Mayock’s first year at the helm as the Oakland Raiders’ GM, he’s shaped the organization in many ways to be successful in 2019. But, has his efforts been enough to award him with the Executive of the Year when it’s all said and done?

First year general manager Mike Mayock entered the Raiders’ building in Alameda, CA with no prior experience of handling such duties. Mayock started his new role with strictly a background in evaluating talent from a television analyst perspective.

Through his years on the NFL network broadcast, his scouting opinion on prospects became a respectable one around many NFL circles. So the question pondered, can he take his knowledge from the television set and thrive as a general manager scouting for his exact team needs, while also signing free-agents and dealing with the financial aspect of the Oakland Raiders?

Mayock answered the call. Him and Jon Gruden worked simultaneously in putting together, arguably the most important rookie class in recent memory, before the Raiders head off to their new home of Las Vegas. The team’s nine drafted and five undrafted rookies have propelled the organization in a positive light, as the youngsters have taken shape in a big way.

In Gruden’s past draft classes over the course of his 13-year head coaching career, he’s received heavy criticism for some of his selections. Whether the criticism was called upon or not, having Mayock in the building as a ‘draft expert’ to lean on looks to have paid large dividends.

Mayock was also an instrumental piece in bringing aboard the talents of Trent Brown, Tyrell Williams, and Lamarcus Joyner in free agency. Giving Brown the largest contract for an offensive lineman in NFL history certainly raised some eyebrows, but he’s been tremendous at right tackle. In Brown’s 465 snaps he’s allowed one sack this season.

People around the NFL knew Mayock was a brilliant football mind, but many figured it would take some time to adjust into his new role. Mayock wasted no time, and is now considered a potential candidate for the executive of the year award.

Mayock’s case for the award is highly granted after he turned around the Raiders depleted 2018 roster into a contender in just his first season.

The Raiders organization has won executive of the year twice since it became an official award in 1993. Al Davis took home the honor in 2002, and Reggie Mackenzie did the same in 2016.

While there still remains six games left in the regular season, many things can change. But at this point in the year, the Raiders have hit on a handful of rookies and a large part of that reflects on the job that Mayock has done with his draft selections.