Team-by-Team Draft Review: Oakland Raiders
The Raiders have lacked talent throughout their roster for more than a decade and haven’t had a winning record or made an appearance in the post-season since Rich Gannon led them to Super Bowl XXXVII in 2002.
Despite winning just three games in 2014, it looks as if Oakland may be starting to put some of the pieces in place to once again become respectable. Their top three picks from a year ago – linebacker Khalil Mack, quarterback Derek Carr and offensive guard Gabe Jackson all flashed the skills to become playmakers at times, had productive seasons and look like building blocks for the future.
In this year’s draft, the Raiders tried to add to that young nucleus. Let’s take a look at each of those picks on the offensive side of the ball.
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Amari Cooper, WR (Round 1, Pick 4 overall)
By now everybody knows about Cooper but you can’t get enough of a good thing so let’s take another look at the former Crimson Tide star.
Developing into one of the premiere receivers in the country over the last few seasons, Cooper was dynamic in his final year of college. Easily the best receiver on Alabama’s roster, he led the nation in receptions with 124 and finished with 1,727 yards and 16 touchdowns before winning the Beletnikoff award which is awarded to the nation’s best wide receiver and finishing third in the Heisman voting.
Although his stats are impressive, Cooper’s domination of college corners is even more astonishing.
A polished route runner, Cooper is impressive at all three levels of the defense. He’s strong off the line of scrimmage in press coverage which makes him difficult to jam but also has a lightning quick release in off coverage which regularly puts defenders on their heels.
At the top of his routes, Cooper is equally impressive. Consistently getting defensive backs off balance with sharp breaks, subtle head fakes, and the savvy way that he lulls them to sleep before rapidly changing speeds, he showed that he can get regular separation whether he’s running crossing routes at mid field or dominating undersized corners around the goal line.
Although he excelled running the entire route tree while in college, Cooper was particularly impressive on the fade route – catching the ball over his shoulder. At 6’-1” he’s not the typical towering receiver that excels on such routes but he mastered his fakes at the line of scrimmage and footwork around the boundary in order to make difficult catches look easy. Opposing SEC football fans will tell you he also mastered a delicate push off to gain extra separation before making the catch but such moves are even less likely to garner a yellow flag on Sundays.
Even though he has the size and physical traits to play on the perimeter, Cooper also displayed the ability to be a quality receiver from inside while in college. Due to his quick footwork at the line of scrimmage as well as his ability to find and sit in holes in zone defenses, he made an ideal slot receiver for the Crimson Tide – particularly in blitz situations on third down.
During the months leading up to the draft, many tried to find flaws in Cooper’s game. They pointed to his habit to drop a pass every now and then along with his less-than-average vertical (33”) as reasons to temper expectations for him as a pro but to me it seems like nitpicking.
All things told Cooper is the perfect fit for the Raiders. He’s already the best receiver on the team and should be on the field at all times due to his flexibility to move throughout the formation as well as his ability to be both a possession and big play receiver.
With Carr entering his second season and continuing to progress as well as the improvements along the offensive line and the likeliness that the Raiders will be playing catch up for much of the season, there’s no reason not to expect anything less than WR2 numbers out of Cooper as a rookie.
Projecting beyond his rookie season Cooper probably doesn’t have top-five wide receiver upside, but he certainly has the potential to be a consistent low end WR1. That, along with his high floor due to his exceptional route running, big play ability and incredible competitiveness, makes him the top prospect in dynasty rookie drafts. Especially in PPR leagues, I find it difficult to take anybody else with the number one pick.
Clive Walford, TE (Round 3, Pick 68 overall)
Known by some as the best all-around tight end available in the 2015 NFL draft due to his ability to be a consistent blocker and receiver, Walford was the second tight end taken in the draft behind only Maxx Williams who went 13 picks earlier.
In his time at the University of Miami, Walford improved with every season that passed. In his final season on campus, he racked up 44 catches for 676 yards and seven touchdowns despite not getting to play in the teams’ bowl game due to a knee injury he suffered against Pittsburgh in the final game of the regular season.
At 6’-4” and 251 pounds, Walford is physical and impressively athletic. Fast enough to beat linebackers and too powerful for many defensive backs to cover in the middle of the field, he’s a tough matchup for most. Although he struggled at times running sharp routes which will have to be improved upon to become a useful fantasy asset, he excelled as a short to intermediate target while in college, primarily running crossing routes and hook routes but also showing the ability to beat linebackers on the seam.
Due to his strength, Walford proved to be an impressive runner after the catch. He displayed a quality stiff arm on more than one occasion and regularly broke tackles and carried defenders for extra yardage after contact.
Overall, Walford is an intriguing prospect but may be a better NFL player than fantasy asset – particularly early in his career. Although it’s true that with only Mychal Rivera above him on the depth chart in Oakland, there’s a very real possibility of early playing time for Walford as a rookie, fantasy owners should also keep in mind that the Oakland passing game was very limited a year ago and the Raiders plan to be as run-heavy as possible. Although Walford’s strengths as a blocker will help him get on the field, they won’t help anybody’s fantasy team. While he has upside as a long term receiving option, it’s unlikely that he makes an early impact on the box score.
After an impressive combine where he ran a 4.79 40-yard dash (4th among tight ends) and posted a 35 inch vertical (also 4th) and impressed as a pass catcher in drills, Walford moved to the number two spot on my rookie tight end list and hasn’t moved since. Currently with an ADP of 40 in post draft rookie mocks, Walford is being taken exactly where he should be, as a developmental tight end. He’s really only draftable in leagues with the roster size and flexibility to hold three tight ends and is ideal for a taxi roster spot.
Andre Debose, WR (Round 7, Pick 221 overall)
Ranked as the second best wide receiver in the country coming out of high school according the ESPN, Debose struggled with injuries and inconsistency throughout his time with the Gators. Despite playing in 42 games in for Florida, he posted just 30 catches for 540 yards and four touchdowns in his career including just four grabs for 12 yards and no scores in his last two years on campus. Debose did return five kicks for touchdowns while in college however.
Despite the Raiders being in desperate need of a playmaker opposite Cooper, Debose looks far more likely to make plays on special teams than he is as a receiver. He’s not on the fantasy radar.
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