The Oakland Raiders drafted a total of 9 players in the 2017 NFL Draft and made just one draft day trade.
The Oakland Raiders took some risks on draft day this year, but they are risks that could have a very high reward in the end. Gareon Conley was accused of rape right before the draft, but says it is untrue — which it could be. Many people thought he would fall one or two rounds, but the Raiders took him with their first round (24).
In addition to that, they drafted a strong safety that has a lot of talent, but is a raw prospect. In the third round, they drafted a defensive tackle that has struggled with injury and his weight — but he has lost 40 pounds and is ready to get serious. In the fourth round, they drafted an offensive tackle that is almost blind in his right eye.
I think the Raiders risk-taking will pay off and by Week 8 when they visit the Buffalo Bills, we will see some of those rookies contributing in big ways. This might scare you if you recall what happened between the Raiders and Bills last season (the 29-point blown lead).
With an improved defense through the draft, the Raiders will make it difficult for the Buffalo Bills to even get a 29-point lead to begin with.
Let’s take a look at the one trade they made:
- The Raiders trade their sixth round (208) to the Cardinals for two seventh rounds (221, 231).
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Now to look at their nine draft picks:
- Round 1 (24): Gareon Conley, CB, Ohio State
- Round 2 (56): Obi Melifonwu, SS, Connecticut
- Round 3 (88): Eddie Vanderdoes, DT, UCLA
- Round 4 (129): David Sharpe, OT, Florida
- Round 5 (168): Marquel Lee, OLB, Wake Forest
- Round 7 (221): Shalom Luani, SS, Washington State
- Round 7 (231): Jylan Ware, OT, Alabama State
- Round 7 (242): Elijah Hood, RB, North Carolina
- Round 7 (244): Treyvon Hester, DT, Toledo
That’s right, four draft picks in the seventh round. Of those four, Ware and Hester should see some contribution this season as depth players, while Lee, Sharpe, Vanderdoes, Melifonwu and Conley could win the coaching staff over early.
Expect a tough Raiders’ team mid-way through the season.
Let’s go ahead and skip Week 9 since we already covered the New York Jets (to view their draft results click here). Moving on to Week 10 when the Bills return home vs. the Saints!