The Oakland Raiders had three first-round picks in this year's NFL Draft, and with their first two selections, they chose Clemson defensive lineman Clelin Ferrell (fourth overall) and Alabama running back Josh Jacobs (24th overall).
Afterwards, Raiders general manager Mike Mayock said that you really can't go wrong with taking players from Clemson and Alabama:
“I felt it on the field before the game, these were the two best college programs in the country and have been for several years now,” Mayock said of the 2019 National Championship Game between the Tigers and the Crimson Tide, according to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated.
“And when you walk around on the field before the game and watch these guys warm up, and you do your body types, you’re taking notes—they look like two NFL teams. I said it to somebody, I don’t remember who, and I remember thinking to myself, ‘Man, if you just draft from these two teams, you’re gonna do well, forget the rest of the country.’
That won't stop others on the outside from critiquing Mayock's selections, though.
While no one had a problem with Oakland taking Ferrell in the top five, there were many who questioned just what the Raiders were thinking by going with Jacobs at No. 24, as it is no longer commonplace for teams to take running backs in the first round, especially when they were not all that productive in college to begin with.
One thing is for sure: the Raiders should certainly be an interesting team to watch in 2019.
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