It has been a busy offseason already for the Las Vegas Raiders, as they look to rebuild the roster in Tom Telesco's first year as the general manager. The Raiders have been adding and subtracting via free agency, and on Tuesday, the lost a key piece to their defensive backfield.
That player was Amik Robertson, who has been a constant contributor for the Raiders since being a fourth-round pick of the team back in 2020. That was the Raiders final of seven selections that year, a group that has been a nightmare since Jon Gruden and Mike Mayock made the selections.
We know all about the well-documented off the field issues with first-round picks Henry Ruggs III and Damon Arnette, two players who were supposed to be a part of the rebuild in Las Vegas. Remember, Las Vegas had five first-round picks across the 2019 and 2020 drafts, but outside of Josh Jacobs, they got very little production from those selections.
In the second round, Las Vegas did not have a pick, but they did have three selections in the third round. That group, Bryan Edwards, Tanner Muse, and Lynn Bowden did very little in the Silver and Black, although the fourth-round brought two quality NFL players.
Those players were John Simpson and Robertson, two starting-caliber players at the pro level. Simpson left the Raiders after being waived towards the end of the 2022 NFL season, while Robertson has been a strong contributor all along.
In 2024, Simpson will play for the New York Jets, while Robertson recently found a home with the Detroit Lions.
Raiders hoping to change their draft reputation in 2024
The big issue for the Raiders in recent years has been how badly they have missed in the first round. From Arnette, to Ruggs, to Alex Leatherwood, the selections have been wildly underwhelming, and that has caused the Silver and Black to consistently being on the outside looking in when it comes to the playoffs.
Maybe things will change with Telesco as general manager, as he had solid success, especially on Day 1 with the Chargers. One thing is for sure, it cannot get much worse than the group that was selected back in 2020, and now, the franchise has turned the page on the whole draft class.