Oakland Raiders: Despite The Criticism, McKenzie Made The Right Pick

The Oakland Raiders took Karl Joseph with the fourteenth overall pick – a pick that has stirred some controversy within the Raider Nation with some calling it a reach – but it was absolutely the right selection.

The reaction of the Oakland Raiders faithful to the selection of West Virginia safety Karl Joseph with the fourteenth overall pick has been decidedly – mixed. A quick perusal of Twitter and various comment threads show that seemingly half of the notoriously outspoken Raider Nation is giving a full throated endorsement of the hard hitting safety, while the other half has expressed their displeasure in true Raider fashion, which is to say – colorfully.

Though some talking heads – and armchair GM’s – are yapping about Joseph’s selection being a big reach and grading it out low, it was absolutely the right selection.

First of all, Joseph fills a big need for the Raiders. Once Charles Woodson retired, it left a huge, gaping hole in the middle of Oakland’s defensive backfield. They picked up Reggie Nelson and re-signed Nate Allen, but Nelson is a one or two year stopgap measure – a very good stopgap measure, but a temporary solution all the same.

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Allen on the other hand, is younger and should have plenty of tread left on his tires, but he’s had some trouble with injuries. Does anybody blasting the Joseph selection recall when Allen went down last year? What happened – Travis Carrie had to slide over, and while he did a decent enough job, it was still a new position for him to learn and he made some mistakes along the way.

Before some of the Raider fans begin burning McKenzie in effigy, let’s also pause to bear in mind the fact that Allen is on a one year deal, Nelson is on a two year deal, and beyond those two guys, the Raiders don’t have a lot of bodies playing safety. So taking Joseph is a smart move as it fills a need for a longer term solution.

And Joseph can play ball. He’s far more than just a beast of a hitter. He has plenty of different facets to his game that make him an invaluable addition to a secondary that needs playmakers. HC Jack Del Rio said it best in an interview:

"“He’s very versatile. He can play at all levels of your defense. He can come off the edge as a blitzer. He can play down in the box, he can play center field. He does a great job taking angles and he’s very effective and efficient as a hitter and tackler.”"

Of course, Joseph’s reputation as a ferocious, “knock you out” kind of hitter is only going to help that Raiders secondary. Knowing that there is a George Atkinson/Jack Tatum kind of hitter lurking in the defensive backfield may give a receiver a moment’s pause or make him develop a sudden case of T-Rex arms, allowing Oakland’s defensive backs to make a play on the ball.

And perhaps the best case that can be made in defense of McKenzie’s pick – though, it seems ridiculous to have to defend a solid pick – is that the Falcons drafted a safety at number seventeen and wound up taking Keanu Neal. Not only that, but the Texans are reported to have desperately wanted Joseph at twenty-one before settling for wide receiver Will Fuller.

So, instead of missing out on Joseph to the Falcons, who would have most assuredly taken him at seventeen, or to the Texans at twenty-one, the Raiders wound up with the best safety in the draft. He not only provides a long term solution at the safety spot, he helps improve the squad on day one.

Next: Bruce Irvin Gets His Wish, Raiders Draft Joseph

It’s a good thing McKenzie has thick skin because there are critics aplenty in the wake of the Joseph pick. But then, there would have been critics regardless of whatever name he wrote down on that draft card. He’s never going to make everybody happy and people will always find reasons to complain. It comes with the job title and the big office.

All that matters is that McKenzie’s goal is to improve the team. And he did just that with the selection of Karl Joseph. Regardless of what the critics say.