The Raiders are entering a new chapter with GM John Spytek and first-year head coach Klint Kubiak, and every indication in the first few months is that the two are off to a good start together (unlike the situation in the building a year ago).
Spytek and Kubiak took center stage last month in their first draft together, and we’ve learned some interesting details about the Raiders’ draft in the days since.
On Sunday night, ESPN aired its draft special ‘The Pick Is In’ aired and offered a behind-the-scenes look at how the Raiders reached the decision to trade back in the second round.
According to a report last week, the Raiders were zeroing in on Arizona defensive back Treydan Stukes in round 2 before the draft even started, and we saw on Sunday how Spytek nervously traded down from pick 36 to pick 38 and still landed his coveted defensive back.
Maybe the most interesting dynamic of the video was watching Spytek and Kubiak work together.
A year ago, it was reported that former head coach Pete Carroll was a very influential in the Raiders’ draft room and wasn’t always on the same page as Spytek.
League insider Tony Pauline called Ashton Jeanty a “Carroll pick” and there were reports that Spytek went “rogue” in the latter parts of the draft.
But nothing about this year’s draft footage showed Kubiak doing anything other than sitting back and allowing Spytek to run the room. In fact, Kubiak doesn’t even speak in the short clip ESPN aired of Spytek gong back and forth on the idea of trading with the Texans.
Last year, the Raiders may have traded down too many times in the second round
According to the California’s Post’s Vinny Bonsignore, the Raiders might have missed on a player they wanted in the second round last year by trading down too many times.
“I think there were some things that they learned from [last year’s draft]. I think maybe if they had to do it over again, maybe they don’t trade down twice in the second round. I think that maybe they might have missed out on a guy that they thought could have been there at one of those turns in the second round that they surrendered,” Bonsignore said on Raider Nation Radio’s JT the Brick Show last month.
“But, you know, those are learning experiences. They still ended up with a couple of offensive linemen out of those trades that they really like in the third round, Caleb Rogers and Charles Grant, that could be starters this year. So maybe that all works out because that’s how they end up getting those two players.”
Bonsignore didn’t identify the player he thought the Raiders might have been targeting in the second round, but the trades they made were from pick 37 to pick 48 and then traded pick 48 to pick 58 where they drafted TCU wide receiver Jack Bech.
x: @raidersbeat
No question, the new Raider people did their homework. The best draft choices in each round I have ever seen from the Raiders. Great job!
No question, the new Raider people did their homework. The best draft choices in each round I have ever seen from the Raiders. Great job! The season is the proving ground.
Really excellent choices but for me most were early. There is immense pressure on the offensive side to carry the team. It’s been apparent since it was announced that R.Leonard is the DC that he wasn’t the top pick. Why they didn’t hire Jim Schwartz and make the league figure it out is crazy to me? IMO this is Leonard’s 1 year tryout. And they’ve given him some pieces and with Maxx back ( at least for now) Rob will have a punchers chance. Better chance than what Spytek gave P.Graham last year after letting multiple good starters walk.