The Oakland Raiders have made some solid draft picks over the past couple years with names like Derek Carr, Amari Cooper and Khalil Mack turning into strong professional players, but looking back, the team likely wishes it could have a draft re-do in some years. Names like JaMarcus Russell, Darrius Heyward-Bey and Rolando McClain looked good at the time, but many of those players flamed out in their time with the Raiders.
The Raiders were very active this offseason after going through some tough years in the AFC West and with head coach Jack Del Rio and general manager Reggie McKenzie working together, it appears the team is start moving in the right direction. Carr has shown that he can be a starting NFL QB, while Cooper and Mack look like consistent All-Pro players.
The Raiders have done well at times when it comes to the draft, including with names like Shane Lechler, Sebastian Janikowski, Darren McFadden and Tyvon Branch, but some years have shown that success is not always in the cards, including with former number one overall bust JaMarcus Russell. Russell is considered by many as the biggest draft bust of all-time. If the team could go back and make the pick again, there are some major names that they likely would have picked.
Calvin Johnson went number two overall to the Lions, Joe Thomas at number three to the Browns, while Adrian Peterson was picked seventh by the Minnesota Vikings and both of those players have turned out to be superstars. The top 10 and most of the first round has players the Raiders likely would have loved to have over Russell, but many of those names were not in contention at number one that year. Marshawn Lynch, Patrick Willis, Jon Beason, Joe Staley, Dwayne Bowe and Greg Olsen are some names that ended up as solid NFL players the Raiders may have been better off with.
One major problem for the Raiders and their inconsistency over the past years can be tied directly to the draft, more specifically the 2009 class.
The biggest issue for the Raiders when looking back on that class is that not a single player is left on the team from that year. The previous draft, the team got two very important players in Darren McFadden and Tyvon Branch and after going just 5-11, the team had 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 4th, 6th and 6th round picks, but now looking back, it was a black hole. At the time, the team was lambasted for their first round pick of Darrius Heyward-Bey and while that doesn't look as bad now, he was later released and is no longer with the club.
Heyward-Bey was one of the fastest receivers in the draft, but the team must be kicking themselves over other players they could have taken, including names in the first round like Percy Harvin, Hakeem Nicks and Kenny Britt, all of whom were taken after the Raiders pick. In 2011 Heyward-Bey showed some of the potential that the Raiders saw in him with 64 catches for 975 yards and four touchdowns, but that was his best season and he never put up numbers like Harvin or Nicks have in any year with the team.
The Raiders like speed and while receiver was a need at the time, the team also could have taken a host of other players at different positions, including Clay Matthews, Brian Orakpo and Michael Oher. The second round pick for the team is even worse, as Mike Mitchell only put up 139 total tackles with two interceptions in four seasons in the NFL. Not good production for a second round pick.
Louis Murphy was taken in the fourth round of the draft and while he put up decent numbers in his career, he ended up off the team due to injuries and was traded to the Panthers for a seventh round pick. So basically the Raiders used a fourth round pick on him and turned him into a seventh. He put up 75 catches for 1,130 yards and six touchdowns in his first two seasons, but he is no longer on the Raiders roster.
By far the best pick of that draft was the selection of Brandon Myers, who led the team in receiving two years ago. The tight end was taken in the sixth round and put up great numbers with Carson Palmer with 79 catches for over 800 yards and four touchdowns, but the team let him go in free agency to the Giants and he has not done much since. The Raiders sure wish they could have a re-do on some of those past draft boards.
Check here for the list of all-time Raiders draft picks
