Oakland Raiders: Gruden using draft to strengthen trenches, as expected
The Oakland Raiders have used all of their draft picks in the first three rounds on the offensive and defensive lines, a decision that has many fans upset. With how Jon Gruden has said he wants this team to play next season, these picks are no surprise. But are these the right moves to make? Well they aren’t the wrong ones.
The Oakland Raiders are using a very specific approach to the NFL Draft thus far. Three rounds in, the team has used all four of their picks to strengthen the trenches on both sides of the ball.
As we discussed yesterday, the team used their first round pick on offensive tackle, Kolton Miller. The team continued to go with various types of linemen in the second and third round, selecting defensive tackle P.J. Hall, offensive tackle Brandon Parker and defensive end Arden Key.
While some of these picks may seem questionable seeing as the team has other holes that need addressing, it is not surprising the team elected to go the route of strengthening the trenches.
Conventional wisdom may have said that the team should take a linebacker or corner with some of these picks, but head coach Jon Gruden has made it clear that he wants to play smash mouth football with this team in 2018, making the decision to strengthen both lines a predictable one.
Jon Gruden has publicly said he wants to “throw the game back to 1998” and not employ the use of analytics in his decisions. This means he wants to have a game plan that is more run based, brute force football.
This is definitely a questionable approach to say the least. But if that is the way he wishes to play the game, it is best that he makes sure to strengthen both lines are well as he can, in order to increase the chances this style of play has of success.
If you’re going to play in a way that many view as likely to be unsuccessful, you must take every action you can to limit the possibility that it ends up as unsuccessful as the doubters believe it to be. In this case, those actions are to draft talent on both lines.
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It is better to have a team that is very effective in a certain area that they choose to focus on then a team who is just average at every aspect of the game. If the team did not draft players to the offensive and defensive lines they may have ended up being the latter.
The best part about the moves the team has made in the draft thus far is that they now possess one of the deepest defensive lines in the league. A deep defensive line is a recipe for success, as seen by the 2018 Super Bowl Champion Eagles.
That team proved that a deep defensive line is the fastest way to creating an elite defense. With a line that possesses Khalil Mack, Bruce Irvin, Mario Edwards Jr., Eddie Vanderdoes, Justin Ellis, and now Arden Key and P.J. Hall, the team has a line to be feared.
Arden Key was a player who had top end talent, being in the first round of many mock drafts last year. Off the field issues and a mediocre senior season led him to fall in the draft. Even with these issues, landing him in the third round is an absolute steal.
With Bruce Irvin becoming a full time defensive end and the addition of Key, the edge rusher rotation for the Oakland Raiders will be a strength of the team.
Last season the interior defensive line being weak was a major problem for the team, but the addition of P.J. Hall should serve to remedy that issue.
While the defensive additions the team have added in the draft are the most intriguing, the offensive linemen picks will also be very impactful.
The team had a clear need at right tackle, that is where the Kolton Miller pick comes in. He can slide in and start immediately, helping the offensive line return to its 2016 form when it was arguably the best unit of it’s kind in the NFL.
The Brandon Parker pick makes sense only because the age of starting left tackle, Donald Penn. Penn may not have much time left, so it is not a bad idea to draft a player who has a chance to fill his role as soon as the opportunity presents itself.
As previously stated, the offensive line is the most important part of an offense like the one Jon Gruden will be employing in 2018. So it is smart to ensure that this unit will remain a strength of the team for years to come, even if it means not being able to address other positions of need.
Next: Trading down for Kolton Miller was genius
It is easy to hate on how the Oakland Raiders are handling this year’s NFL Draft, but we should not be so hasty. Gruden has a vision of how he wants this team to look next season. In order for this vision to be successful the team must make picks such as the ones they have made in the first three rounds of the draft.
In short, we need to trust Jon Gruden– for now.