Raiders Receive Solid Report Cards For HC Jon Gruden’s Drafts

With the 2021 NFL draft now days away, let’s take a brief look back at all the drafts Las Vegas Raiders head coach Jon Gruden has overseen in his second stint with the team.

A common criticism of Gruden’s tenures with the Raiders and Tampa Bay Buccaneers was his less than stellar roster building. His first run as head coach with Oakland was successful due to the myriad of veteran talent that filled its ranks. This isn’t a knock on Gruden, rather, it’s impressive that such a young coach was able to mold that squad nearly led them back to the promised land.

With the ‘Bucs,’ he won a Super Bowl with a legendary defense that had already been assembled by his processor in Tony Dungy. Fast forward to his current reign with the Silver and Black and the results are somewhat mixed. Depending on who you talk to, you’ll get ten different responses in regards to Gruden’s drafts these past three years.

While Gruden and general manager Mike Mayock have reached on some picks, they’ve come away with good talent as well. We also have to keep in mind that the roster was completely torn down when Gruden returned. This is important to keep in mind as some of these players had unrealistic expectations placed on them. Adam Hill of the Las Vegas Review-Journal recently graded Gruden’s picks in a retrospective look. Let’s take a look at the best and worst of said grades.