One of the fun things to do after every season is look back on a draft class to see which picks turned out to be steals and which ones are looking like busts. While it’s too early to label any pick a “bust” after a rookie season, it’s fair to wonder what a draft class might have looked like if the team selected someone else.
In a recent article by ESPN, 32 beat reporters redrafted the 2019 draft class after just one season. For the Raiders, the draft actually looked somewhat similar with the only big exception being the teams’ first pick at No. 4.
Instead of selecting defensive end Clelin Ferrell, ESPN beat writer Paul Gutierrez gave the Raiders Josh Jacobs with their first pick. Take a look at Gutierrez’s reasoning behind the pick:
Wait, didn’t the Raiders draft Jacobs at No. 24 overall in real life? Indeed. But Jacobs had such an impressive NFL debut — he rushed for 1,150 yards and seven touchdowns in 13 games despite suffering a fractured right shoulder in Week 7 — that the Raiders cannot risk losing the bell-cow back to another team in this re-draft by waiting. Jacobs is a leading candidate for NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year for a reason. — Paul Gutierrez
In terms of on-the-field production, it’s hard to argue against Jacobs going inside of the top-five picks. He accumulated over 1,300 total yards in 13 games and was arguably the Raiders’ best offensive player. Given that the Raiders selected him 20 picks later, the team has to feel great about that kind of value.
It is worth noting that three other Raiders’ draft picks were selected in the first round of ESPN’s redraft: Maxx Crosby (No. 17), Clelin Ferrell (No. 21), and Travon Mullen (No. 24).
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