Raiders NFL Draft: Tom Telesco's first round history is a mixed bag

The last first round pick that Las Vegas Raiders general manager Tom Telesco made as the GM of the Los Angeles Chargers was a bad one. Last April, Telesco drafted TCU wide receiver Quentin Johnston in the first round, and he had a forgettable first season with the Chargers.

The previous year, Telesco had better success drafting on Day 1, bringing in Boston College offensive guard Zion Johnson. Since being drafted, Johnson has started all but one game for the Chargers, and appears to be a building block for their future along the offensive line.

Those are just two of the 12 players Telesco selected in the first round as general manager of the Chargers franchise. There have been some huge wins, including Justin Herbert, Derwin James, and Joey Bosa, while also some misses, including Johnston and Jerry Tillery, but for the most part, he has done a good job with his Day 1 pick.

The Raiders go into the 2024 NFL Draft with many needs on their roster, and for those who believe they know what Telesco will do with their first-round pick, think again.

New Raiders GM has targeted multiple positions on Day 1

While the Raiders could be in the market to trade up and select a quarterback, that is a scenario that is more unlikely, than likely. In order to get one of the top-3 quarterbacks in this year's draft, Telesco would have to be a draft wizard, and would also have to mortgage the future to do so.

Looking at his past drafts, Telesco did a nice job targeting multiple positions groups, from wide receiver, to the offensive and defensive line, and of course, Herbert at quarterback. Telesco seems to be a guy drafts based on team needs, so if the Raiders do stay at No. 13 overall, a number of position groups and players will be in play.

The Raiders are placing the future of the franchise in Telesco's hands, and hopefully, unlike previous regimes, he gets it right on Day 1.