Can a good draft finally lift the fortunes of the Raiders?
On Thursday night, the Las Vegas Raiders did what everyone expected them to do: Choose a ready-made superstar with the sixth pick.
Picking Ashton Jeanty was not all about needs. Sometimes, when you are picking high in the draft, you just need to choose the best player available.
Top pick, top potential
Jeanty is coming off a really good college year, with 2,600 yards and 29 touchdowns. The Boise State running back is also known for his high IQ, elusiveness and vision.
I am very confident that he will fit right into a Pete Carroll offence with ease, and be a true Day 1 starter.
Jeanty will now secure the second-most guaranteed money for a running back. While positional value is not high, if he makes a difference, then no one will be worried about money come February.
Lower rounds bring high value
A couple of new wide receivers were picked in the second and fourth rounds: Jack Bech and Dont’e Thornton Jr.
Bech is a true route runner with good hands and decent speed, and should develop into a very useful weapon for Geno Smith. Thornton Jr. is more of an outside receiver with incredible athleticism and yards-after-catch potential.
At #68, it was Darien Porter’s turn to join the ranks of the Silver and Black. With size, length and play speed, you can see why he has been compared to Richard Sherman.
Sherman previously worked with Carroll at the Seahawks. Carroll is known for developing defensive backs so I am hoping this is the steal of the draft.
With consecutive selections, a couple of offensive linemen were chosen at picks 98 and 99. With a bit of training, both guard Caleb Rogers and tackle Charles Grant coud become starters. In the short term though, they will be very useful backups.
Excited yet?
Thanks to some nice trades by John Spytek, Las Vegas had 11 picks in total this year. Many plugged a lot of the holes in this team.
There are one or two gaps that still need sorting though, primarily at linebacker. However, there is plenty to be excited about in Sin City – not just for next season but many seasons to come.
