Raiders Draft Picks: Where are they now? (Reggie McKenzie Edition)

2018

Kolton Miller (1st/15th Overall)

After struggling mightily in his rookie year, many wrote Kolton Miller off. However, he has turned into a staple on the Raiders offensive line the last six years. He has started 90 of the 98 possible games since he entered the league and 6 of those games he missed due to injury. He is one of the elite tackles in the league, ranked #10 by PFF’s recent ranking, and is expected to have another huge year for the Silver & Black. 

P.J. Hall (2nd/57th Overall)

Hall had a solid career, albeit short. He played in 30 games during his two years with the Oakland Raiders before playing 10 games for the Houston Texans in 2020. He started 27 games in his career, recording 2.5 sacks and 82 tackles, 10 of which were for a loss. Hall was waived from the Raiders after a failed physical prevented him from being traded, making it difficult to defend a second rounder only playing two years and the team getting nothing in return. He was also arrested for assault and released by the Texans. He currently plays with the Memphis Showboats of the USFL.

Brandon Parker (3rd/65th Overall)

Brandon Parker spent two years as the primary starter at RT for the Raiders, in both 2018 and 2021. Other than that, he was primarily a depth piece for the Silver and Black, playing in 59 games over six seasons and starting only 33 of them. Toward the end of his Raiders career, he was plagued by injuries, but he has found new life as a member of the 49ers for this upcoming season. 

Arden Key (3rd/87th Overall)

Key has been an underrated edge rusher in his NFL career, he just never produced for the Raiders. In his six-year NFL career, he spent the first three playing for the Oakland/Las Vegas Raiders and had a combined 3.0 sacks while missing 11 games. The following three seasons he spent with three different teams (49ers, Jaguars, Titans) and has averaged nearly 6.0 sacks a season while missing zero games. He remains on the Titans for the upcoming season, and his best football seems to be ahead of him.

Nick Nelson (4th/110th Overall)

This pick was a swing and a miss. Nelson only played in 12 games for the Raiders in his two NFL seasons and never found himself on an NFL roster again. He was last signed to a reserve/future contract with the Colts but was waived before the season began in 2021. 

Maurice Hurst Jr. (5th/140th Overall)

Mo Hurst was one of my favorite Raiders during his tenure, and he had a productive first few years in the league before dealing with injuries. He had 7.5 sacks in his first two seasons and recorded six passes deflected to go along with an interception. Unfortunately, he only played in 11, two, and zero games the following three seasons, but he’s had a bit of a resurgence. Last year he played 13 games for the Browns and is back on the roster this season. 

Johnny Townsend (5th/173rd Overall)

Townsend only lasted one season with the Raiders, and for good reason. He was wildly unsuccessful, and in the years that followed, only played in five NFL games. He last played for the Orlando Guardians of the XFL. 

Azeem Victor (6th/216th Overall)

Victor never played in an NFL game. He was waived just months after being drafted, never made another NFL roster, and was suspended for 10 games following a DUI arrest. He last played for the Houston Gamblers of the USFL before being released in 2022.  

Marcell Ateman (7th/228th Overall)

Ateman spent the majority of his Raiders career jumping back and forth between the active roster and practice squad. He compiled 270 receiving yards in his career to pair with one touchdown, but after two and a half seasons on the Raiders, he was waived and never made another NFL roster. He is currently playing for the St. Louis Battlehawks of the UFL. 

Takeaways: This was actually an okay draft. McKenzie hit a home run with his first-round pick and found a few gems in the later rounds, but none of these players panned out in the long run for the Raiders besides Miller. Brandon Parker’s longevity helps this group a bit, but Key’s instant success elsewhere leaves a stinging feeling for Raiders fans. This draft is a C-, because only one reliable starter came out of it.