Looking back at the Raiders Top-5 NFL Draft misses of all time

Looking back at the Raiders Top-5 NFL Draft misses of all time

5. DE Jihad Ward - 44th Overall in 2016

The Raiders drafted defensive end Jihad Ward out of Illinois 44th overall in the second round of the 2016 NFL Draft. He was 6-5 297 lbs coming out of the NFL Combine and many analyst said he was very mobile for a player his size. Most agreed though that he would be a project of sorts and would need some time to not only fine tune his game, but solidify whether he'd play on the inside or outside of the defensive line.

In July of 2017, it was revealed that he had surgery on his left foot after injuring it during a workout, putting him out of action until August. In two seasons with the Raiders, Ward had a total of 21 games played, only 14 of which he started. He finished his career in Oakland only amassing 32 total tackles and 1 sack as well.

Ward was ultimately traded to the Dallas Cowboys where he was reunited with defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli, who coached him in the Senior Bowl in 2016. He bounced around to a few different teams before ulitmately landing with the NY Giants where currently plays today.

The player drafted directly after Ward was running back Derrick Henry who was taken 45th overall by the Tennessee Titans. Henry has put himself in the NFL rushing record books on numerous occasions, one of which joining a list of only eight players to ever rush for 2,000 yards in a single season.