Raiders Draft Picks: Where are they now? (Reggie McKenzie Edition)
By Levi Dombro
Raiders Draft History
As I have written about before, the Raiders have been looked down upon when it comes to their drafting prowess. However, yesterday ESPN released a list that detailed the 12 best draft classes of the 21st century, and the 2014 Raiders’ class came in at No. 9. Their reasoning was simple:
"Jadeveon Clowney was supposed to be the can't-miss pass-rushing selection in the 2014 draft, but the Raiders drafted the best edge rusher in the class with the No. 5 pick. Khalil Mack has made the Pro Bowl eight times with three first-team All-Pro selections and five seasons of double-digit sacks. He was Defensive Player of the Year in 2016 and will likely be in the Hall of Fame one day. In the second round, the Raiders took Derek Carr, who spent nine years as their starting quarterback before moving on to the Saints.
"The third-round pick was guard Gabe Jackson, a nine-year starter for the Raiders and Seahawks. Fourth-round pick Justin Ellis started a couple of years at defensive tackle for the Raiders and also played for the Ravens and Giants. The Raiders even got two useful players in the seventh round. T.J. Carrie started 54 games at cornerback and safety for four NFL teams, including two seasons as a regular starter for the Raiders. Defensive lineman Shelby Harris barely played in Oakland but eventually emerged as a useful starter for the Broncos before moving on to the Seahawks as part of the Russell Wilson trade. He also started seven games for Cleveland in 2023."
This high praise made me wonder if we Raiders fans have gotten too cynical about our team and if our memory has failed us. I was then inspired to look at every draft since then and paint a picture of how each of our draft picks panned out. This article is the first in a series of articles about our recent draft history. Below I focus on Reggie McKenzie's tenure; specifically the years that followed his 2014 masterclass.