Oakland Raiders 2018 Draft Class Review

With the 2018 NFL Draft behind us, it’s time to begin the review process on how each team stacks up with the selections they’ve made. With the new regime in place, Coach Jon Gruden enjoyed its first draft since returning to the Raiders from his long absence. Managing to trade down in the first round to add draft capital to the books, the Raiders ended up with nine total selections from the 2018 draft, let’s review… 

Oakland Raiders 2018 Draft Class Review:

Round 1 – Pick 15 (15)

Kolton Miller (OL)

Quite possibly the best tackle in the entire draft was pilfered off the board by the Raiders, and boy is there a lot to like here. Firstly, Miller is an absolute tower standing at an eye popping 6’9” tall weighing in at 309 pounds, like I said, a beast. There’s no mistaking his size and it’s a clear indication of the type of player he really is. Miller is a fantastic talent with average athletic ability, but he’s just an all-around good football player.     

With the Raiders offensive line getting older and heavily paid counting toward the cap, this move was a no brainer for Gruden to begin the adjustments on this roster. Gurden is old school and fully understands that the battle is won in the trenches and having a young talent like Miller on the roster is invaluable. Some scouts do question the overall height potentially being exposed at the next level as quick moves and side-step swim moves could make Kolton compromise his positioning. ADF isn’t one of those naysayers and believes Miller will excel at the next level.  

ADF Prediction: Great potential, star tackle.

Round 2 – Pick 25 (57)

P.J. Hall (DT)

Perhaps one of the most underrated players in the entire draft on the defensive side of the ball. Hall had a masterful college career that showed him block 14 kicks in his career, yes that’s correct, 14 blocked kicks in four years. With that knowledge, some may believe P.J. is simply a special team player with a unique skill-set, let me remove that thought from your minds altogether. In four years, Hall amassed a whopping 284 total tackles, 42 total sacks, 9 forced fumbles, and four interceptions, it was truly a man playing amongst boys at that level.

Hall doesn’t possess the prototypical size that is desired at the NFL level, but Jon Gruden likes high motor football players and he sure got one here. Hall is a pure athlete that can move in other positions on the line to help create mismatches for the defense. ADF is very impressed with Hall and will be very interested to see what he can do playing on the same line as all-star Kahlil Mack.   

ADF Prediction: Good potential, high end producer.

Round 3 – Pick 1 (65)

Brandon Parker (OL)

It’s almost like looking in a mirror to Kolton Miller in terms of stature as Brandon Parker comes in at 6’8” tall, weighing 305 pounds maintaining one of the bookends on the offensive line. In terms of his skill-set, Parker would still require some refining even though he was a productive player in his time in college. Through the testing process he showed good agility and bend moving around the cones suggesting his development isn’t as far off as some may suggest. Parker more-than-likely wouldn’t have a starting role in year one, but would rather play behind the starters learning and improving his traits to eventually become a dominate force. The Raiders have set themselves up with two tackles that are absolute giants with great potential to be the starters for many years.   

ADF Prediction: Moderate potential, good upside.

Round 3 – Pick 23 (87)

Arden Key (DE)

The former LSU product has scouts all over the map when evaluating his skill and potential with what they have witnessed on tape. ADF sees a player that showed flashes of production and talent racking up 20 sacks in his college career. There was a drop off in his final season due to some injures that forced him off the field. His 24.5 tackles for loss is very encouraging showing a player that had ability to gain penetration while stuffing plays in the backfield. Key has good size to play the edge but we question if he could man a spot on the line with his hand in the dirt. Arden Key has traits of becoming a situational player that could potentially do damage if he can prefect his craft. 

ADF Prediction: Low potential, rotational player.

Round 4 – Pick 10 (110)

Nick Nelson (DB)

ADF has echoed over and over that this draft class is full-up with talent at the defensive back position, and Nick Nelson fits in that category. He is a talented player that has a nose for the ball. Having 41pass breakups in his college career proves he is a solid cover-corner that can get the job done. His speed with his current size is something ADF isn’t overly impressed with, as at the next level he will be susceptible to getting burned if his placement isn’t on point. While Nelson flashes brilliance in his cover ability, he didn’t record an interception in his playing career in college, very strange. ADF struggled to pin-point the issue as it may seem he’s just very comfortable knocking passes down rather that picking them off. If Nick can find a way to produce interceptions, the Raiders might have stolen a gem on the backend.

ADF Prediction: Good/low potential, improvements needed. 

Round 5 – Pick 3 (140)

Maurice Hurst (DT)

It’s rare to see a talent such as Maurice Hurst take such a tumble down the board after being a possible first round selection. The issue at hand wasn’t the potential and production, but the concern rested in the medical reports where a heart condition was found at the combine. Hurst doesn’t possess an overly large frame, but he makes up for it with a good motor and quick first step off the ball. Hurst will be limited in what systems he can be successful in, but the potential for an added interior pass rushing presence is music to Khalil Mack’s ears.

ADF Prediction: Wait and see player, medical concerns.

Round 5 – Pick 36 (173)

Johnny Townsend (P)

While it seems the Raiders are the team that drafts punters when needed as it’s worked in the past, Gurden has a glaring need to fill the roster spot to the recently departed electric personality Marquette King. ADF won’t use much time to describe what Townsend can do, but the consensus is that his leg is quite strong and he could be a very capable punter in the NFL.  

Round 6 – Pick 42 (216)

Azeem Victor (LB)

Adding more depth to a defense that requires as much needed talent infusion as any, Azeem Victor is an interesting prospect. Having good size to play the position and looks the part of a true NFL hit-stick machine, Victor does come with red flags. His off field issues look to be a major concern for the future as he wasn’t able to stay out of trouble in his final season. If he can commit to the NFL as his profession and remove the outside temptations, he could carve out a role in Oakland.

Round 7 – Pick 10 (228)

Marcell Ateman (WR)

This pick is very interesting as Marcell Ateman has fantastic height that could be a great asset in the redzone. Measuring at 6’5” tall, Ateman does it all when it comes to finding the opportunity to catch the ball. Marcell has good route run ability and an above average release off the line, but his speed will leave you always wanting more. Ateman will be in tough to find a lasting role on a team with a crowded wide receiver room. He should act as a pure redzone miss-match player in his rookie season potentially becoming a touchdown vulture.   

2018 Undrafted Free Agent Signings

Marcus Baugh, TE, Ohio State

Eddy Pineiro, K, Florida

Nick Sharga, FB, Temple

Saeed Blacknall, WR, Penn State

Jason Cabinda, LB, Penn State

Alex Officer, C, Pitt