The Las Vegas Raiders’ 2020 draft class was a topic of conversation this week when former fourth-round pick John Simpson was released. While this was one of the worst draft classes any team has ever put together, the team has hit some seriously bad picks throughout Jon Gruden’s tenure. The 2019 draft should turn the franchise around as the team had three first-round picks and one high second-round pick.
If the Raiders hadn’t found late-round jewels in Maxx Crosby and Hunter Renfrow, it would have been a poor all-time draft class. This offseason, the team traded cornerback Trayvon Mullen to the Arizona Cardinals, who was drafted in the second round in 2019. Injuries have limited Mullen this season and haven’t shown much to Arizona when he was healthy. If he had played two more games, the team would have had to give the Raiders a pick in the sixth round.
Rather than let Mullen end the season to see what they had on him, the Cardinals fired the cornerback, according to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo. Now that they’re releasing Mullen, the Raiders will get a seventh-round pick instead of a sixth-round player.
There were times during his Raiders stint when Mullen looked like an above-average cornerback. It came as a surprise when the team traded him in the offseason. He had a really good career at Clemson before going to the NFL.
He’s a good height for a cornerback at 6ft 2 and could still have the potential to be a good player if he just stays healthy. He will make waivers and there might be a team out there willing to give him a chance. There are certainly worse cornerbacks in the NFL than Mullen. The Cardinals might have kept him if a draft pick wasn’t in jeopardy. Maybe he’ll end up on the Arizona practice team if nobody claims him.
When the Raiders started 2-7, there was speculation that if the team ended the year with a top-five pick, they could draft a quarterback. The team then went on a three-game winning streak that put them out of contention for a top quarterback. If the Raiders don’t keep losing and some weaker teams win, they’ll likely end up with a pick outside the top five.
Right now, Las Vegas sits at No. 8. ESPN’s Todd McShay sees the Raiders drafting Texas Tech defensive end Tyree Wilson:
Jones has had a bad season but he’s played a lot better in recent weeks. If he finishes the season strong, the Raiders may be more inclined to use their top pick for a defensive tackle or cornerback as those are much greater demands.