For the most part, the Raiders did a pretty good job drafting from 2010-2019. Of course, they have had their fair share of misses, but they drafted several Pro Bowl players including Khalil Mack, Amari Cooper and Derek Carr.
However, their biggest miss of the decade was when they selected former Alabama linebacker Rolando McClain with the No. 8 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.
McClain played just three years for the Raiders, starting 38 games. And in a recent piece by Maurice Moton of Bleacher Report, he was named the team’s worst first-round pick since 2010. Take a look at Moton’s reasoning behind the selection:
On paper, Rolando McClain’s numbers look solid. He recorded 246 tackles, 17 for loss, 6.5 sacks and 20 pass breakups in 41 contests over three seasons with the Raiders. However, the story behind the boxscore is troubling.
During his time with the team, McClain received a 180-day jail sentence after he received a guilty verdict on assault, menacing, wrongful discharge of a firearm and reckless endangerment charges. On a separate occasion, authorities said he provided a false name after an officer cited him for tinted windows.
McClain was eventually released in 2013 and didn’t play football again until the 2014 season when he joined the Dallas Cowboys. The best football of his career came in Dallas, as he started 23 games over two years and played at a near-Pro Bowl level.
McClain just never could put it all together in the NFL as he struggled with off the field issues. Despite applying for reinstatement before the 2019 season, it’s likely that he has played his last down of professional football.
[vertical-gallery id=64619]
[lawrence-newsletter]