Oakland Raiders: Revisiting Reggie McKenzie’s laughable NFL Draft history
By Kevin Saito
2014 – Khalil Mack, Derek Carr, Gabe Jackson, Justin Ellis, Keith McGill, T.J. Carrie, Shelby Harris, Jonathan Dowling
This is, hands down, McKenzie’s signature class, with Carr, Mack, and Jackson being the crown jewels of it. You could arguably put Ellis in that category as well, but he’s not nearly had the impact the others have.
What Ellis is, is a very solid, very reliable run stopper and gap filler, but that’s it. He’s solid depth on the defensive line, but solid depth is never a bad thing to have. And with some new, impact talent on the line, Ellis is in a good spot to keep contributing.
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Those four aside, T.J. Carrie was a solid pick. He was a very serviceable cornerback, with many considering him the best in Oakland’s secondary. Though, given the state of Oakland’s secondary, that was a very low bar to clear.
To wit, since leaving Oakland to join the Cleveland Browns, he’s been a solid and reliable piece, but he’s not even close to being the best corner on the team, starting just six games this season.
There’s no denying that McKenzie definitely came out a winner with his 2014 draft class – a class he basically built his reputation on, dining out on it for years.