Perhaps the excitement of the Fernando Mendoza and Treydan Stukes selections was simply too high, and no matter who the Las Vegas Raiders chose in the heart of Round 3 was bound to be a disappointment. Keyron Crawford was the Raiders' pick at No. 67, and it wasn't too well-received.
Fans not only felt like Crawford was a reach, but much of Raider Nation is weary of "project" picks after recent underwhelming selections like Tyree Wilson. Las Vegas has too many players that, colloquially, look like Tarzan but play like Jane. And it is hard to build a winning team with that makeup.
But leave it to ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr., the father of NFL Draft coverage, to make the Silver and Black faithful feel a bit better about their third-round selection. His review of Crawford isn't some blind praise of him; Kiper Jr. watched the tape and seems to be a believer.
Mel Kiper Jr. is a big fan of new Las Vegas Raiders DE Keyron Crawford
Immediately after Crawford was selected, Kiper Jr. began breaking down the Auburn product's film. Not only did he have great things to say about him in a vacuum, but he even included that he popped out on tape more than his Tigers teammate Keldric Faulk, the No. 30 overall pick in this year's draft.
“I thought he outplayed Keldric Faulk. I really did,” Kiper Jr. said. “I’d watch 15, I’d see 24 popping. That was Keyron Crawford. 6-foot-4, 253 pounds, and he had 36 tackles, 9.5 for a loss and 5.0 sacks. … Took a backseat in terms of national publicity to Faulk, but the explosiveness off the edge was there. Chased down running plays in pursuit. He won with power as well as that quickness. He disengages blocks well. I like him as a situational pass-rusher.”
Obviously, there is a reason that Faulk was taken so much earlier than Crawford. But Kiper Jr.'s assertions make it seem like the gap between those two players isn't all that wide. And that is good news for a Raiders team that just used a third-round pick on Crawford.
Now, fans shouldn't kid themselves about the work that Crawford will still have to do once he gets in the building. But with the future of the defensive end room so uncertain in Las Vegas this side of Maxx Crosby and Kwity Paye, Crawford has a chance to become a legitimate future piece.
As Kiper Jr. said, he may only ever be a situational pass-rusher. But his ability to play that Buck defensive end role, which means that he can also drop back into coverage, probably increases the number of situations that he can play or thrive in.
Patience will be required with Crawford, as he is still very early in his football career. But Kiper Jr. makes him sound like a much better prospect than the one Raiders fans had an impression of in their head when his name initially flashed on the screen at pick No. 67.
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