Raiders treasure chest of first-round picks has turned into Fool’s Gold
By Brad Weiss
Raiders treasure chest of first-round picks has turned into Fool’s Gold
2019 NFL Draft
Clelin Ferrell (No. 4)
We start out with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, and that was two-time national champion edge rushers, Clelin Ferrell. Picked ahead of a star in Kentucky’s Josh Allen, the consensus No. 1 edge rusher in this class, Ferrell has had some moments for the Raiders but has never become what a top-5 pick should.
Ferrell has been decent against the run, but his sack on Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs was more of a shock than an expected occurrence. He is no longer a starter, falling behind Maxx Crosby, picked in the fourth round of this draft, and Yannick Ngakoue, and has to be considered a bust due to his draft slot.
Josh Jacobs (No. 24)
The Raiders bucked tradition with pick No. 24, taking Alabama star running back Josh Jacobs. Through his first two years in the NFL, Jacobs looked like a great pick, rushing for over 1,000 yards in each campaign, and making his first Pro Bowl in 2020 in only his second season in the league.
However, as we have seen with teams that pay their running backs big money, it does not work out for the most part, and Jacobs has digressed in terms of his production in 2021. He has not looked like a back you can rely on from week to week, and there is no way this team can afford to give him a large second contract to keep him in Las Vegas.
Johnathan Abram (No. 27)
During the team’s run on HBO’s Hard Knocks, No. 27 overall pick Johnathan Abram became a star, and early on, it looked like he would be just that for this franchise. In Week 1 of his NFL debut against Denver, Johnathan Abram went down with a season-ending injury, and since he flashed that night, he has never been the same.
In fact, most times, Abram has become a liability on the field for the Raiders, making some big mistakes in huge spots time and time again. It has become clear that Abram has not played to a first-round billing across his first three seasons in the league, and you have to wonder if he is ever going to be more than just a depth safety at this level.