There is reaching, and then there is Gabe Jacas at pick 146. The Raiders jumped the board by 133 and dared it to prove them wrong.
Whatever else happened, they won the night they took Skattebo. Leaving cornerback unaddressed is the roster risk they will have to answer for in the fall.
The trades cost them a sliver of value they did not need to spend. They went 6 of 8 on their needs, which is most of what a draft is for.
Good work on the whole, with cornerback the one box left unchecked.
Pick-by-Pick
R1.19
· Pick 19
· Will Campbell
· OT
· rank 15
In pick 19 they get a long-term starter on the line. Exactly the need they had to hit.
R2.7
· Pick 39
· Emeka Egbuka
· WR
· rank 28
A slide stopped in the Round 2 slot, with Emeka Egbuka worth more than the price. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
R3.5
· Pick 69
· Kaleb Johnson
· RB
· rank 39
You do not let a running back like Kaleb Johnson reach Round 3, Pick 5 and blink. They did not. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
R3.20
· Pick 84
· Jihaad Campbell
· LB
· rank 40
Circle this one: Jihaad Campbell at the 84th overall pick is a fall that decides a draft. Useful body for a position without much behind the starter.
R3.33
· Pick 97
· Andrew Mukuba
· S
· rank 71
They will replay Andrew Mukuba at No. 97 for years; that is how good the value is. It adds depth where they could use a little.
R4.5
· Pick 106
· Rylie Mills
· DL
· rank 135
Rylie Mills at the 106th pick is an overdraft of the loud, memorable kind. It fills a real need, too.
R5.9
· Pick 146
· Gabe Jacas
· LB-EDGE
· rank 279
The board screamed and they did not listen, reaching into the next round for Gabe Jacas. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
R5.27
· Pick 164
· Joshua Gray
· OG
· rank 170
No drama and no debate, Joshua Gray went about where he belonged in Round 5, Pick 27. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
R5.37
· Pick 174
· Cam Skattebo
· RB
· rank 114
Cam Skattebo at the 174th overall pick is a first-round grade at a bargain-bin price, no notes. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
R6.37
· Pick 212
· Tommy Mellott
· QB
· rank 341
A big swing on Tommy Mellott at No. 212, well ahead of any board in the building. A need, and now a little less of one.
R7.7
· Pick 223
· Xzavier Henderson
· WR
· rank 243
Xzavier Henderson at pick No. 223 is the kind of overdraft that needs everything to break right. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.