The 2019 NFL Draft was an important one for Raiders coach Jon Gruden and general manager Mike Mayock, and now that it's come and gone, it's time to hand out grades.
ESPN's draft expert, Mel Kiper Jr., gave the Raiders fairly high marks for their nine picks. Entering the draft, Kiper had edge rush, running back and cornerback as Oakland's top needs, and sure enough, they addressed all of them with their three first-round selections.
Still, though, the Raiders didn't receive a perfect grade. While Kiper was a fan of the talent Oakland added in the draft, he believed the Raiders could have done a better job navigating the board. Ultimately, he gave the Silver and Black draft class a B grade.
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Here's what Kiper had to say about some of the players the Raiders added over the three days of the draft:
Clelin Ferrell
"... Clelin Ferrell is a high-character, high-productivity combo. He leaves Clemson with 50.5 tackles for loss and 27 sacks and figures to factor immediately. (The Raiders had 13 sacks last season ... [Khalil] Mack had 12.5).
"The big head-scratcher here was taking Ferrell at No. 4 instead of taking the light risk of moving down and taking him later. I suspect he would have been around. Gruden is gonna get the guy he covets, and that's clearly Ferrell, but there's no question in my mind they flushed a little board value there."
NFL
Josh Jacobs
"Josh Jacobs (No. 24) was the No. 1 running back in the class and is plug and play. Exit Beast Mode, enter Jacobs."
Johnathan Abram
"Johnathan Abram (No. 27) is a Gruden special -- an intimidator who will make you feel it as a tackler."
Trayvon Mullen and Isaiah Johnson
"Then you have Trayvon Mullen (No. 40), also a Gruden type who is a physical corner who makes plays, and another long corner in Isaiah Johnson. They're good players at a big need spot."
[RELATED: Mayock looks back on his first NFL draft as Raiders GM]
Maxx Crosby, Foster Moreau and Hunter Renfrow
"Maxx Crosby (No. 106) could be a pass-rushing sleeper out of Eastern Michigan, and Foster Moreau (No. 137) and Hunter Renfrow (No. 149) also hit need areas at tight end and in the slot."
Kiper's final assessment
"Overall you have to like the talent influx from the draft class. They loaded up on power-program, tested talent. They hit a pile of needs, though they had plenty to hit. The reality is they needed it, and what [Antonio Brown] and Mack do over the next two years will factor into the long-term grade."